Wolf's Weakness
by RhysWilde
Summary: A story centered around Wolf and his team. Wolf has to make tough decisions and expose some of his well-hidden weaknesses to save that which he holds dear. Takes place in a post-64, pre-adventures timeline. Rated M for violence and language. Mild sexual themes.
1. Chapter 1

"Wolf, another backup squadron entering the fight, eight o'clock."  
"Yes I can SEE them Andrew."  
"W-what do we do now?! We're outnumbered three to one!"  
"We're NOT leaving. Get your head on straight you filthy pig! We stay calm and we fight them."  
"Boss, if we stay much longer we're putting ourselves at significant risk… Our lives aren't worth-"  
"Don't be fools, our reputation is our best asset. What kind of message do you think it sends if we retreat?"  
"We can't fight 'em all, Wolf. That ain't happening. They'll swarm us like flies."  
"Do you need me to spell it out for you idiots? You know your roles. If we retreat, I'LL tell you to. For now, you do what you're paid to. Leon, run your diversion. I'll be supporting you. Pigma, keep focusing their aces. Andrew, go greet the new squadron head-on. They won't expect-..."  
"Boss..?"

* * *

Wolf snarled gutturally and hammered his fist on the dash as his comms channel was cut offline, disconnected from the rest of his teammates. The Wolfen was rocked from a well-placed (or perhaps lucky) pair of shots from a flanking K-9 unit, appearing to have accurately pierced the junction point between two pieces of armor. It wasn't the first time he'd been hit this fight, but it was certainly the first time he'd felt it. There were about a dozen enemy fighters engaged and it was proving to be a challenge to keep track of all of them. The captain grumbled to himself as he tried to bring his backup communicator online. "Come on you hunk of junk let's go…"

Waiting for it to boot itself up, Wolf slammed on the brakes and hung a deep left bank to reorient himself behind his assailant as they passed overhead, wanting to make sure that they paid for their actions. His ship was much more compact, agile and better equipped than the standard issue K-9 fighter so outmaneuvering wasn't often much of a problem. The Wolfen was created by Andross's engineers for the sole purpose of providing Team Star Wolf an edge on the opposition and they were allowed to keep them after the war; the ship's presence alone was enough to strike fear into most Cornerian hearts.

Coming out of the bank, Wolf released the brake and depressed the trigger to ignite the boost… But nothing happened. A red light on the instrument panel began to frantically blink, signaling that the secondary engines had been taken offline. Wolf gritted his fangs and slammed his fist on the tempered glass of the canopy, swearing loudly to release frustration. Without the secondary engines, he knew he wouldn't be able to recover his lost speed very quickly, making him an easy target. The K-9 ships in the area didn't take long to notice either. Despite having inferior hardware and training, it was tough to say that they weren't well coordinated. A few broke formation and began to move to sideswipe the struggling Wolfen.

Before he could consider any evasive actions, a loud explosion rang out over the airspace and interrupted the fight, violently rattling the cockpit- this time it didn't feel like a hit. Hopeful that it was one of the Cornerians, Wolf quickly scanned the visible area around him with his sharp purple eye before spotting a thick black cloud off in the distance. Flaming hunks of metal dropped from the sky, trailing smoke in every which way with three K-9 ships in tow. It looked like a ship had taken a direct hit to the fuel tank.  
"B-BOSS! BOSS!" Andrew's face lit up the screen as Wolf's communications channel popped back online; the backup unit having just finished booting.

"What?! What the hell was that?"  
"Leon! H-He-!" Wolf inhaled sharply, it felt like a bucket of ice had been poured over him as his blood drained out of his face.  
"W-what happened? Where is he?!" He barked out.  
"You were supposed to have his back, Wolf! What the hell did you do?! You sent him to draw their attention then let them walk all over him!"  
"We're gettin' out of here, Wolfy. This is just like Bolse all over again and I ain't goin' down like that."

Under normal circumstances, that kind of insubordination would have been met with quick retaliation, but Wolf was stunned. He stared up at the remnants of Leon's Wolfen, wide-eyed and open jawed. He didn't know how to react. They always had close calls, but he never had an appreciation for how lucky they actually were. And as with everything else, he was now finding that even their abundance of luck eventually runs dry.

The sudden fatality had caught the captain so off guard that for the moment he had forgotten that he was in the middle of an uphill battle. At least, until a follow-up strafing run brought him back to reality. Shots riddled the partially-disabled Wolfen as it desperately tried to regain speed; the integrity of the cabin pierced by a particularly well-placed ion shot. Blood painted the interior of the cockpit as the shot connected directly with Wolf's gut; he couldn't stop himself from yelping in pain- letting go of the flight sticks to reflexively grab at his wound.

Nothing like this had ever happened before. Wolf could no longer focus, the flashing lights, controls and warnings all became a foreign language to him as he clutched his injury, blood pouring out between his fingers. "I-Is this the end?" The captain thought to himself as the Wolfen began spiraling out of his control. He held his bloodied up paw to his face and looked it over. "Just a normal job gone wrong? No rivals, no blaze of glory… Just shot down like the disgraceful dog I am? No… I don't- I won't…" He begrudgingly forced himself back into the fight, grabbing one of the flight sticks and getting a heaping amount of blood on it. He tried to wrestle control of his vessel again, but at this point it was already too late. He was way off course and too much was offline, it was beyond the point of recovery.

Try as he may, Wolf was unable to change his fate. Instead he continued his careening descent, watching the ground get closer and closer, until…

"Boss… Come now. Wake up."

* * *

Wolf bolted upright and tossed the covers aside, flinging them over the body of the crewmate relaxing next to him. He was panting something fierce.  
"I-... I-..."  
"Shh… You're fine, Boss. You've been twitching and growling all night… Bad dreams again?" Wolf took a moment to reorient himself. There he was, in his room like always. Metal walls of the mothership protecting him. He let out an aggressive huff as reality came flooding back to him.  
"What did I tell you about sneaking into my room, you snake?"  
"Oh I'd hardly consider it sneaking, Boss."  
"...How do you keep getting in here anyways?" Wolf glanced over at the door, it was still locked.  
"I have my ways." Leon responded, devilish grin growing from ear to ear. "Besides, it looks like you've had another nightmare. Would you like to talk about it?"  
"Maybe what I'd LIKE is one night where you don't break into my room."  
"Tsk tsk, you know I can't have that. What if someone were trying to kill you?"  
"Then maybe I'd have a bit of peace and quiet for once in my life."  
"Oh don't be like that." Leon's three-fingered chameleon hand trailed its way down Wolf's chest, tracing lines in his long grey fur. "Your heart rate is off the charts… You sure you don't want me to at least… Take care of you?" He punctuated the sentence by gripping the captain's semi-hard morning wood. Wolf huffed and let out a quiet growl, but didn't oppose it.

If you told him years ago that he would be having what could be considered regular intercourse with his best, and arguably his only, friend- Wolf would have clawed your face off in an instant. But… Circumstances change. After the Lylat Wars, Team Star Wolf spent the vast majority of its time drifting from planet to planet, taking small job after small job to stay occupied. While he wouldn't admit it to himself, years of being alone in space accompanied only by his crew of men made him more desperate and lonely than he'd ever been before. The lines between what he wanted to do and what he would be willing to do blurred more and more until the invitations of his shockingly perverted teammate began to intrigue him.

It didn't hurt that Leon was built in a very… Visually appealing way for him too. Lithe, effeminate and submissive- the combination could be very intoxicating. While he was always momentarily reluctant and rarely initiated, he found himself drawn to Leon more and more with each time- becoming closer than he would normally allow himself to be with anybody.

Moments into their intimacy, Wolf's sensitive canine ears picked up the on-board communicator ringing again and again. He considered that it may be important… But found that he was enjoying Leon's mouth too much. Whoever was calling would have to wait.


	2. Chapter 2

"Yes, yes I understand." A thick, baritone voice emanated from the communications room. One that unmistakably belonged to a certain large feline. "As much as I wish I could I _can't_ give you an answer. Yes, you'll need to speak with the dog himself." he was clearly growing more and more impatient, whoever was speaking with him on the other line was being very persistent. "I already told you, I'll speak with him when he is available... No I can't give you a time. I'm not his keeper. You'll just have to be patient, I know that's hard for your kind. Yes, goodbye."

The call finally hung up and Panther exhaled a sigh of relief, placing the handheld communicator back down on the receiver. " _Persistent apes…_ " he muttered under his breath. Some underlings from Oikonny's Army had been calling the ship all morning looking for Wolf, that alone being his third conversation with them. Panther juggled the idea in his head of waking the captain up and informing him, being that it was rapidly approaching the early afternoon, but was well aware of how temperamental and liberal with the use of his claws Wolf could be. Regardless, perhaps considering the circumstances he would be a bit more understanding of the intrusion. Panther decided that it was worth the risk.

It wasn't long before he found himself standing nervously in front of Wolf's door. Despite being an almost seven foot tall force of nature, it was tough for anybody not to be a bit shaky when confronted in Wolf's dominating aura. It was one of the main reasons he decided to join Star Wolf in the first place. Panther took a deep breath, exhaling and raising his large paw to knock on the door. To his surprise, it slid open in front of him.

"I- Panther?" Wolf stood in the entrance to his room, caught completely off guard while trying to slink out to the bathroom. He was wearing nothing but his askew boxers, his lower abdomen covered in a sticky mess. The scent of sex and cigarettes stung Panther's sensitive nose. "What are you doing intruding on me unannounced?! Have we not had this conversation before, you dense house cat?" He was clearly embarrassed and trying to cover for himself by being overly aggressive. Leon stood behind him, unashamed of his full nudity and silently snickering to himself.

"B-Boss, my apologies." Panther stammered out, averting his gaze and rubbing the back of his head anxiously. "There's been a bit of an emergency and I-"

"You nothing." Wolf fronted tough but was fortunate that he had thick grey fur to cover up his blushing red face. "Now get out of my way before I give you another scar to match that one on your face." It didn't take much for the feline to oblige, stepping to the side and lowering his head respectfully despite the threat.

"You'll have to forgive my intrusion but there's an emergency, Wolf. Oikonny's Army has been calling us nonstop all morning, it sounds like something happened to Andrew. They're demanding they speak with you."

"Demanding, huh?" Wolf grumbled as he exited his room, "No ape demands anything from me. Tell them they can wait."

"I've… Been doing that. Look, I-I made breakfast for the both of you. If you'd meet me in the kitchen when you're done we can discuss the situation further."

"Fine." The leader spoke over his shoulder, already treading down the hallways towards the restroom. "Just don't let this happen again, cat."

"...I understand captain. Apologies." With that, Wolf disappeared behind another door. Long matted tail flicking through as it shut behind him.

"...Couldn't resist coming to have another look, hmm?" Leon asked in his sultry voice, wasting no time in taking advantage of their newfound solitude. He was grinning devilishly as he approached the feline, leaning on the other side of the doorway from him with his genitalia proudly on display.

"Your boss isn't here to protect you, snake." Panther responded, taking a moment to ensure that Wolf was fully out of earshot. "I would watch your tongue around me."

"Don't tell me you're jealous of Boss, hmm?" The lithe chameleon snickered from behind his hand, "Is it because he gets all of my attention? Poor kitty."

Panther had about all he could take of his teammate. While he held insurmountable respect for Wolf, that didn't spill over well into his partner. He always found himself at odds with Leon, constantly having to brush off his incessant teasing and mockery. He wasn't sure if it was always this way, or if Leon just housed a special thing for Panther.

"The last thing I want is more time with a degenerate like yourself, Powalski."

"Oh? Well that certainly didn't seem to be the case in at least one event in my memory." Panther snarled, sharp teeth baring out of the corner of his muzzle, he couldn't stand to have this thrown in his face again. "In fact, you couldn't get enough of me then."

While it was true that the two had… Copulated... It wasn't necessarily due to Panther's own volition. Leon was well aware of this but loved to rub it in regardless. It had occurred months ago during a time of poor judgement. Inebriation, loneliness and isolation-triggered depression clashed together to produce the perfect storm of a regretful decision. He was sick of having this moment of weakness brought up time and time again.

Panther snarled, aggressively pushing Leon into the door frame. He used his forearm to pin his chest against the metal, stucking his black muzzle in Leon's face in an attempt to intimidate.

"I'm sick of your words. Bring that up again and you'll regret every decision you've made to get to this point. What we did dies with us." he spoke softly but sternly, making sure his voice didn't travel. "Understand?" Leon simply smiled.

"You're cute when you're mad at me." He replied, flicking his tongue out against Panther's face. In one deft movement he escaped from the larger animal's grasp, ducking low and sliding out underneath his thick, muscular arm. Clearly the message was not received. Leon followed Wolf's path down the hallway, strutting his exposed rear back and forth in a teasing manner.

"...I'll never get through to him." The feline growled under his breath.


	3. Chapter 3

Wolf shotgunned his entire mug of coffee in one frustrated chug before slamming the empty mug down on the countertop. It was later in the day than he intended to be up and his coffee was already cold, much like the rest of his breakfast.

"So they got him, huh?" The canine sighed out, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at the floor. "How does an ape like Oikonny get taken prisoner? He's smart, quick, skilled... What else did they tell you?"

Panther stood on the other end of the counter from Wolf, leaning forwards with his chin resting on his knuckles. Leon on the other hand was staying out of the way; he didn't like to be involved in these kinds of decisions, instead opting to listen from afar.

"They didn't say much," The ebony feline spoke, "It sounds like the Cornerians played dirty, something about a trade at the Cornerian outpost on Fichina going awry. I'd guess that Andrew showed up in good faith to trade prisoners and got taken by surprise."

"That's it? Not a raid..? No battle? Just snatched up during a diplomatic meeting?"

"From what I understand, that is correct. It was supposed to be a weapon's free meeting, Wolf. It sounds like the dogs are desperate to put an end to the conflict."

"Pathetic." Wolf huffed, shaking his head. "Both of them. I thought I knew Andrew better than to risk himself like that. Especially now that he leads an entire army." The trio stood in the kitchen in silence, Wolf grumbling under his breath and poking around his mostly-eaten breakfast plate with his index-claw. He mulled some thoughts over in his head before speaking again.

"So what do they want from us? Money, guns?"

"…They want us to rescue Andrew while he's still on Fichina, Wolf. It's a small base, they think we can-"

"Not. Happening." The captain interrupted, putting his hand up in a 'stop' gesture. "I explained to them **very clearly** that I'm not interested in their stupid squabbles. Just because Andross had me on the payroll doesn't mean I fight for their interests. My loyalty died with him. If little nephew Andrew wants to pretend to be the next great Andross that's fine- but I'm not responsible for what happens as a consequence. He knew who he was playing with. If he wants to be bailed out, his men will have to do that for him."

"Yes captain I… I had a feeling you would say that. In fact I told them something similar already."

"Then what the hell else is there to talk about?" Wolf barked, slamming his palm down on the expensive counter tiles. Panther swallowed a lump in his throat, he knew Wolf wasn't upset with him but his aggression could still be intimidating, especially when delivering bad news.

"Well, you see; they're under the impression that the force they would need to mobilize to rescue him would be picked up by the Cornerian scouts before they even breached the airspace. And if that happened… The Cornerians would react by rushing Andrew off of Fichina and back to their homeworld. And we both know there's no getting him back once he's there."

Wolf put his head back down in his food as he mulled it over again. Under normal circumstances, Leon considered himself similar to the Boss's finger. He wasn't to pressure him, disobey him or falter him in any way. When the Boss needed something done, he would do it with no questions asked. The two had spent almost the entirety of their criminal lives as partners and were often in perfect synchronization. That said, this time Leon felt there was a necessity to air his own thoughts on the matter.

"Boss if I may…" The chameleon asked from the corner of the room. Wolf turned his head, empty socket staring at Leon from under his eyepatch.

"Speak."

"Oikonny's Army doesn't possess the same levels of skills or discretion that we do. It's quite possible that we could do this for them just out of good faith, no? It's just a prison break after all, all we need to do is sneak in and sneak out."

"A prison break on a military base, Powalski. It's not the same as grabbing some idiot out of county jail. There are hundreds of trained men there."

"We've only been doing easy jobs anyways." Leon shrugged, speaking with an air of confidence. "I understand it's not my decision to make, but… I'm willing to accept the challenge. Do not reject it on my behalf."

"Sure," Wolf continue to speak to his teammate from over his shoulder. "We go, we do it. We break Andrew out, good job us. Then what? Right now those Cornerians think we're no longer a threat to them, if we do this we're painting that target RIGHT back on our foreheads."

"I didn't know you were one to back down from a fight." The reptile teased, he only got away with such transgressions because of their history. Anybody else would eat a face full of claw.

"I don't want to hear anything else from you. Panther, get back on the communicator and tell them I'm rejecting their offer. I don't care what they have to say to me. My answer is final."

"Captain, they sounded… Resolute. This may have been their last-ditch option." The feline spoke in opposition. He understood that Wolf's word was law but felt he was at least owed the full context.

"Well then they'd better find another one that doesn't involve killing all three of us."

"Now forgive me if I'm wrong but… From what I understand the team owes Andross's family a great deal. In fact, I do believe the Wolfen you've so graciously provided to me was created with his science, research and funding. You are my captain, but I'd like to tell you that I'm not opposed to using this opportunity to pay my belated dues to the Oikonny family."

"…You too?" Wolf asked, growling under his breath. He ran his manicured paw stressfully through his headfur, opposite paw curling into a fist. This felt like a mistake, but perhaps his teammates had a point. The dream he'd experienced the previous night still lingered in his head, marring his ability to think straight. The loss that he felt, understanding the consequences of pressing his team's luck against insurmountable odds just one too many times. But maybe none of it was luck- even the very real losses team Star Wolf had experienced in the past turned favorable in the end. It's possible that Leon was right, maybe they were good enough for something like this.

But the image that hurt him most never left his mind. Leon's life taken due to his own neglect, all of their legacy together turned to a black cloud in nothing more than an instant. The pain from it hurt worse than his own death that immediately followed. Wolf didn't mind risking his own life, but when the lives of the only people he cared for were on the line the decision got a lot blurrier. Perhaps there was a middle ground… That's when an idea formed. It was desperate and reactionary, but Wolf knew that his instincts were strong.

"Fine." The greymuzzled captain finally spoke, slicing the tension in the air with his resolve. "Powalski, Caroso. If you two are willing to lend your weapons to the cause then I have no choice but to lead you. Panther, forget what I told you. Get on the communicator with Oikonny's Army and tell whoever's in charge that we'll run their errand." A smirk graced the feline's face, he knew his leader had it in him.

"Yes Wolf, right away. Anything else?"

"Yeah. This is the last time we help them- no more. This is it, they've called in their last favor. Make sure they understand that. We'll have their idiot leader back by tomorrow evening."

"Absolutely- wait… Tomorrow?" Panther clarified, that bit caught him just slightly off guard.

"Did I stutter? **Tomorrow**. They said time is of the essence, well then we'll prepare today and leave as soon as we can. We'll have to hit hard and fast if we want the ape back before they can call the big guns over from Corneria. Now GO." He pointed Panther towards the door and the feline immediately did as he was commanded- tail disappearing down hallway as he rushed to the communication's room to relay his captain's message. With that, Wolf and Leon were left in their solitude.

The two momentarily stared at each other from across the room, locking eyes as if they were having a silent discussion while Wolf internally debated his next action. He knew he could be making a mistake… But he had to protect him. Leon nodded in approval and turned to retire to his room, eager to prepare for the mission ahead of them. Wolf hesitated for a moment before following.

"Hey." Wolf spoke in his gravelly tone. Leon hadn't made it more than a few steps before stopping.

"Yes, Boss? O-oh, mm." The chameleon spoke in surprise. Wolf had pressed himself up against his back, standing so close that he could feel the mammal's warmth against his cold reptilian scales. Wolf's heavy paws rested on Leon's hips, holding him in place.

"We need to talk." Wolf spoke directly into Leon's ear slit as he rested his muzzle over his shoulder, hot breath tickling his scales ever so gently.

"You can talk to me any time if you treat me like this."

"I'm being serious."

"Go on."

"Panther and I will be leaving for Fichina in our Wolfens. Tomorrow morning."

"Yes yes, I'll be ready. I understand."

"No, you don't. You're not coming with us." Leon tensed up, his mood flipped a complete one-eighty.

"I-… I guess I don't understand. What am I doing then?"

"I need you to promise to follow my instructions closely, can you listen to what I have to say?"

"Y-yes Boss. Of course."

"You'll be leaving for the Cornerian base tonight in one of our civilian-class ships. When you get there you'll relay everything you see back to Panther and I. Ships, guards, openings… Everything. But under no circumstances will you engage. You're going as a non-combatant. That means no guns, fake identity… The works. That also means that when we get there… If something goes wrong, then you leave. You leave and you don't look back. Now, do you understand what I've told you?"

"Boss, you can't-"

"Do. You. Understand?" Wolf repeated himself, sternly.

"But-"

"No buts. I've given you my order."

"…May I at least ask why?"

"You may not, that's an order too."

"…Then I've no choice. I-… I won't let you down, Boss."


	4. Chapter 4

A soft metal clang echoed down the hallways of team Star Wolf's mothership as Wolf rapped his gnarled knuckles against the wall in anticipation. The majority of his day had already passed him by and he'd spent most of it looking at maps, taking inventory and being up to his fuzzy ears in liquor. He wasn't sure if he'd made the right decision with handling Leon but took solace in the knowledge that whatever happens he wouldn't be putting him in harm's way. All that was left to do from here was loop Panther in, something that he knew wouldn't be easy to explain.

Just like always Wolf found Panther in the gym getting in some training before their early departure the following morning; time-permitting Wolf was normally right there next to him. The two liked to maintain a bulky physique and worked well together, constantly pushing and competing to try and prove who was stronger. Wolf enjoyed this a great deal, it was something he didn't get much of when he was partnered with Andrew and Pigma.

Tonight, it looked like Panther was working on his speed. He had some thin knuckle gloves protecting his fists as he hammered them into the suspended punching bag in front of him over and over. He threw out a few punches before stepping back and weaving to the side, practicing keeping light on his feet to remain unpredictable for whatever poor victim awaited him in the future. His fists were heavy, making frighteningly loud impact noises against the nylon with each connection. This kind of business definitely weeded out the weak.

Wolf hatched an idea, noticing that Panther was too distracted with his music and his punching to see him slip into the room. Slowly he began to sneak up- stepping one foot at a time and being careful not to give away his presence, arms raised up in preparation. The second he was close enough he lunged in for the kill.

"H-HEY, WHAT THE HELL-" Panther yelled over his music, caught completely off guard as he stumbled backwards.

"Caught you, you mangy cat! Get the hell out of my gym!" Wolf teased. He'd pounced up against the larger feline and wrapped his arm around his neck, pulling him down into a headlock.

"Get off me you mutt!" Panther strained to speak, he tried to use his paws to wrench himself free but Wolf's grip was too tight.

"Call me mutt again and I'll really choke 'ya, how about that?"

The cat gritted his teeth and started to use his elbow to hit Wolf in his ribs, aggressive but they both enjoyed the roughhousing. This wasn't the first time he'd taken a grapple from his captain and he knew it certainly wouldn't be the last. It took a few good smacks before he finally hit the right spot, causing Wolf to let go and falls backwards on his tail- chuckling as he coughed to reclaim his breath.

"Oh, I didn't _hurt_ you did I?" Panther asked, grinning as he rubbed his neck. He stepped over to Wolf and extended a paw to him to help him off the floor.

"You _*cough*_ couldn't hurt me if you tried, tabby." His captain retorted, smacking his paw away and getting to his feet on his own. "You havin' fun in here all alone? What, decided you're too good for me?"

"You seemed busy, captain."

"Well somebody's gotta figure out how we're going to avoid winning a long nap in the dirt on Fichina tomorrow."

Panther shrugged. He took an offensive stance in front of Wolf, bouncing on his feet and giving the canine a few gentle taps on the chest with his gloves.

"I think you need to relax." He spoke, "We'll handle this like we've handled the others, I can't imagine a group of dogs is enough to keep us from extracting just one target in the middle of the night." To punctuate his sentence he tried to surprise Wolf with a wild left hook. Wolf was ready for it, ducking out of the way and deflecting with his paw.

"I appreciate your confidence." The captain replied, trying to read Panther's body language to look for the next punch. "But this is different than what you're used to." There it was, a strong right straight. He quickly moved to the side, letting it hit the air behind him. "And hey," he placed a paw on Panther's shoulder, "I'm being serious about this. This isn't a game."

"I understand, captain." Panther's ear folded back, toning the energy down as he understood the gravity of Wolf's visit.

"This isn't going to be an easy fight, we haven't done something like this together. I need to know that you're on my level here, this is a jailbreak at a real military base- an aggression against a nation. Not just roughing up some idiots."

"O'Donnell, I wouldn't have said what I said if I didn't mean it. I may have come late but I owe the Oikonny family at least this much, especially in their time of need. Besides, you know as well as I do that I harbor no respect for Cornerians. I'll happily jump at an opportunity to spill their blood on their own soil."

Wolf nodded slowly, thoughts ran through his head but he chose not to vocalize them. Instead he held his gaze, staring into Panther's eyes intensely, trying to determine if his teammate was ready for something of this caliber. It took a few moments before Wolf had decided that he'd had enough, giving the feline a clap on his broad shoulder.

"I'm glad we understand each other."

"I'm sure something like this isn't new for you and Leon though, hm?"

"Nah," Wolf waved dismissively, "But… Leon won't be joining us tomorrow. It's just us." With a renewed confidence in his teammate's commitment he figured that now would be as good of a time as any to drop the bomb.

"Wait- what?" Panther looked surprised, as was expected. "What do you mean? I thought he volunteered?"

"He did, but I've got different plans for him. I gave him a special assignment."

"I can't imagine what kind of assignment would be special enough to warrant us going in on our own."

"Leon's running reconnaissance, he already left. He'll be on the surface before us to keep an eye on things but he won't be fighting."

"You're wasting his talents on _reconnaissance_? Wolf, why couldn't you just get some mook from Sargasso to do it?"

"…I feel safer keeping this within the confines of my own team."

"Captain… This feels like a mistake."

"I won't have you question me." Wolf shot back, he gave Panther a rough shove. "So what, no Leon and you're out? I won't force you, but I'd prefer if you didn't make me go in alone." The feline sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"No… No. I trust your decision-making abilities. You're my leader and... I'm sure you know what's best."

"Damn right I do. Now, how's your shotgun doing?"

"You know how well I take care of my toys." Wolf smirked.

"Good, because you're going to need it. Clean up and get dressed, we'll meet in the briefing room in thirty. Understand?"

"Understood."

The two went their separate ways; Wolf heading to the briefing room to prepare his presentation and Panther to the showers- curious as to what waited in store.


	5. Chapter 5

The dim blue lights from the Wolfen's twin engines were the only beacons illuminating the frozen tundra of Fichina, their muted whine echoing across the darkness. Nights were cold and long on the snow planet and because of this not much was able to flourish; the only flora that stood were tall, barren tree trunks and no fauna to speak of. It wasn't a planet abundant with resources nor was it valuable enough to terraform, but its position in the Lylat System made it integral to Cornerian operation. While Fichina was technically neutral, it didn't have any native inhabitants that laid claim to it. As such the Cornerians were able to erect a forward operating base to use as a foothold in the event of wartime necessity, much like now. Alongside that its convenient place in the galaxy meant that it could also be used for diplomatic meetings without putting either force at significant risk. At least, this was true until Andrew Oikonny stepped foot there.

Both of Star Wolf's ships were flying low to the ground, moving slowly with all exterior lights and electronics disabled- including their weapons. By operating on minimal power Wolf hoped they'd be able to stay invisible to Cornerian radars.

"Hey, Wolf." Panther spoke over the intercom, breaking their long-standing silence.

"Don't tell me you're getting second thoughts now that we're here, cat."

"Quite the opposite captain, I'm exhilarated. It's been some time since The Black Rose last tasted blood and none is sweeter than that of the Cornerian dog's." Wolf had to agree. He had some less flowery words to describe his feelings but being back on the offensive for the first time since the Lylat Wars had his heart pumping.

"Don't get too excited now."

"Of course. That said, my SatNav has lost our position. Are you still connected?" Wolf tapped his claw against the navigational computer's screen and it turned on, showing their coordinates alongside a general layout of the area.

"Mine's fine. Probably just interference."

"What's the distance to target?"

"We're still 100 kilometers out- it'll be about an hour at our speed. Just keep your eyes peeled and-"

Leon rolled the volume slider on his communicator all the way down so that he could focus, their conversation wasn't something he needed to be involved in anyways. He had seen some movement in his peripheral vision and had to reposition himself to get a better angle on it.

The chameleon was entrenched in the snow, having made a small camouflaged camp at the crest of a hill that was, admittedly, closer to the Cornerian outpost than was ordered. He wanted a good vantage point and this was the best in the area. Besides, he wasn't known for getting caught out of position and had no intention of changing that anytime soon. Leon sat cross-legged, hunched over under one of Wolf's furry winter jackets. It was primarily white but had infrequent splotches of grey mixed in, making it blend with the surrounding frost. A large marksman's rifle defiantly occupied the space in front of him, propped up with a bipod and painted over to match the jacket. Leon manipulated it with just his left hand on the grip, using the scope to scout. Under normal circumstances he followed the Boss's orders exactly as he was commanded, but... This time things were different. He didn't feel comfortable being stripped of his combat abilities while Wolf and Panther were fighting nearby. While they were strong and smart enough to handle themselves, there was always a chance they might need help.

Slowly, the ground that he was looking at began to break away as the snow disappeared into a pit in the earth. Gradually, the small gap widened until it had expanded into a large circular shape. It appeared to be the entrance to some kind of silo that was buried underground. Leon licked his cold lips in anticipation, eager to see what kind of activity awaited. Moments after, the surrounding floodlights snapped on and illuminated the area; two ships brought to the surface on a slow-moving platform. The more Leon saw of them the more his anticipation turned into an uneasy dread, tail curling and uncurling nervously.

Two identical fighter-class ships, both light grey in color with blue painted here and there. They were sharp and agile looking, armed with large, wing-mounted cannons and emblazoned with the same logo. A fire-red fox with wings. Leon scowled, grabbing his communicator and rolling the audio back up.

"Boss… Boss do you read me?"

"Loud and clear Powalski." Wolf radioed back.

"We may have some trouble, Boss."

"Spare the commentary, just tell me what you see."

"Well…" Leon adjusted the focus on his scope, getting a better image of the targets and zeroing in on their distance. "It's… You're not going to be happy about this."

"Just spit it out."

The chameleon took a deep breath, carefully moving his dexterous little fingers over to the bolt of his rifle. "I see Star Fox." He spoke as he slotted a round into the chamber, masking his actions with his voice.

"STAR FOX?!" Wolf shouted, the sound of him punching his dashboard was loud. Leon turned the volume on his communicator down, careful not to let the sound of the Boss's frustration carry. "You've got to be kidding me, they're there at the base? Star Fox?!"

"Yes, captain."

"Are you sure? How do you know?"

"I just watched two identical ships get ferried to the surface on a platform. They're both light grey and blue and they've got a red fox insignia printed on the same side. They look like the ships Star Fox was piloting during the Lylat Wars. Come to think of it, I believe we fought these ships at this very base."

"Just two? You only see two of them? I thought they had four pilots."

"Mm-m." Leon spoke as he scanned the platform. "I only see two ships." Right as he spoke a door on the exterior wall of the Cornerian base opened and the accompanying pilots stepped out, making tracks over to the docked fighters. He trailed them with his crosshairs but it was too dark to make out their faces. "Two ships, two pilots." Wolf closed his eye and huffed through his nose, he wasn't excited about Star Fox's presence but at least two would be more manageable than four.

"Fine, can you at least see who they are?" The captain asked, praying that guard duty was given to the hare and the toad. Leon hesitated before responding.

"Not yet, one second please." When he finished speaking he didn't let go of the transmission button, taking control of the communication channel for a moment so that he could focus. The canopies on the Arwings opened as the pilots approached them and expertly they both mounted their respective cockpits. As the two settled in and the ships powered on their faces finally came to light, illuminated by the screens of their flight consoles. Leon clenched his jaw and sneered as he identified them, finger feeling its way up to the rifle's trigger.

"It's James' son. James' son and the bird."

"Fox and Falco? You see them?"

"They jumped into the cockpits. Wolf, say the words and I'll take them both out. Right now." Leon's voice waivered as excitement began to get the better of him, the scope was shaking but he managed to keep it on target. Center-crosshair was Falco's head; exposed, stationary and none the wiser.

"Take them out? What do you mean- did you bring a gun?! I _specifically_ -"

"Boss, I really don't have time to explain. Just say the words and they're gone. The fox and the bird."

"Leon I told you NOT to engage! I don't know what you're doing but you need to-"

"PLEASE, BOSS." Leon pleaded through tightly gritted teeth. His aim was getting shakier.

"CALM DOWN AND STOP WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING, THAT'S AN OR-"

 _*click*_

Leon switched his communicator off. The Boss was wrong, they needed to pay with their lives for what they did. He wanted to spill their blood so bad that his muscles had developed a psychotic little twitch. Despite how many years had passed since the Lylat War, Leon's mortifying defeat at the hands of Falco Lombardi still proved too much for him to live with. While he was good at keeping his thoughts contained almost every night he was forced to relive the same nightmare, experiencing the dogfights on both Fichina and Venom over and over again. The loss and humiliation of being shot down by a simple street thug was scarred into his brain. The feeling of his Wolfen careening out of control, the horrifying metal eye he had to use for months while he recovered- no. This was the time for revenge. A terrifying grin formed on the reptile's face as he made subtle adjustments to get the perfect aim…

But right before he pulled the trigger, something stopped him. He wasn't sure what it was. Respect for his Boss? A moment of clairvoyance perhaps? He let go of the rifle's grip and sat up in an exhale of stress, picking up his communicator and turning it back on. Almost immediately he was greeted with Wolf's shouting.

"POWALSKI IF YOU DON'T ANSWER ME I SWEAR-"

"Boss, Boss it's me. I- I'm sorry, I'm here. I don't know what came over me."

"What the hell is wrong with you Leon? Are you armed? Did you fire your weapon?"

"No- I-…" Leon hesitated for a moment before answering, stroking his rifle's receiver with his hand. "I'm not armed, Wolf. I don't know what I was talking about… It's just… Seeing them again brought up some memories. I had a momentary lapse of judgment."

"Hmph… Fine. I believe you. Just don't let that happen again. Now, are they still with you? Do you see them?"

"Yes captain." Leon leaned back into the rifle's scope, this time staying far away from the trigger. "Their Arwings have finished their safety checks. It looks like they're preparing for flight."

"What direction are they pointed?"

"…West."

"You're kidding me, we're 70 kilometers out. There's no way their sensors picked us up."

"They're oriented towards the West, Wolf- and they're rising off of the docking port now. I hate to say it but it looks like you may need to prepare for contact."

And with that, the two Arwings rocketed off into the distance. Leaving nothing behind but a thin blue trail in the sky.


	6. Chapter 6

"Falco, talk to me already."

"..."

"C'mon Falco, if we're going to do this we need to work together."

"...I just don't see why you had to wake me up for this, Fox."

"The caller said they looked like gunships, do you really want me to risk it out here on my own?" Fox was met with a huff over the radio. The two traveled in silence for a moment, Arwings rocketing across the landscape. The fire from the engines were the sole lights illuminating the vast expanse of the frozen tundra.

"Security isn't my thing, you know that. I'm not a cop. If my friends back home knew what I was doing…"

"Oh what, those gangbangers? You're the one making money now. Who cares what they think?" Falco shrugged, he was too tired and it was too late to argue about something like this.

"Whatever. You're going to have to do all the talking though. I'm sittin' out of it."

"I wouldn't let you talk anyways, birdbrain." The teammate teased.

The two continued to chatter over their communicators as they flew towards the southern horizon, dispatched to investigate a report that was submitted to the Cornerians no more than 15 minutes before the departure. A sole geologist had called in to report having seen suspicious looking ships flying right in the direction of the base. Due to the sensitive nature of their current prisoner, any and all anomalies had to be investigated.

Under normal circumstances Team Star Fox was not known for their security detail but exceptions could be made for missions as personal as this. Andrew was somebody they'd had a lot of run-ins with and his capture could be the key to stamping out the rest of the conflict. Provided they could use it as leverage to make the rest of his army surrender, the Oikonny nephew could be the key to saving countless soldier and civilian lives. But… Nothing was ever as clear cut as it seemed.

"Wolf, eyes up. 11 o'clock."

"If you say "eyes up" to me one more time I'll have your hide."

"Not the time, dog. I think I see them. The blue off in the distance?" Wolf looked up and visually scanned the skyline. Sure enough, off in the distance the blue tail lights of the Arwings had begun to telegraph their approach. It was just a small bead of light but it was rapidly growing in size as they closed in.

"You're kidding me, already? Goddamnit, I was hoping we'd get lucky... Start to fire up the rest of your Wolfen." The captain spoke as he ran his fingers over the dashboard in front of him, flicking switches and depressing buttons in a frenzied hurry. "It'll put us on their radars but we'll need the firepower. I'm not sure we can hide from this one."

"Am I to attack on sight, captain?"

"No. You wait for my signal. I don't think they'll be attacking when they see us. If the Cornerians knew that Star Wolf was flying in they would be scrambling all of their ships, not just these two dolts. We can press the advantage to fire on them before they expect it." The ship began to warm itself up, charging the primary engines and calibrating the weaponry. Due to the complex nature of the ship's mechanisms powering it up didn't come quickly. Normally this wasn't an issue since they'd prime themselves before combat, having to prepare when under a time constraint wasn't something that was prioritized in the design. A meter on the dash displayed the current status of the ship, indicating how long the process would take with a ticking percentage.

"May I ask a question, Wolf?" Panther's voice relayed through the intercom, cutting the tension.

"You're not in pre-school anymore, cat. You don't need permission."

"When we fight, do you want me to leave James' son for you?"

"…Yeah. It's my job and my job alone to wipe James' legacy from this galaxy. You just focus on the bird, I'll mop up the kid."

"I understand."

While the two spent the next minute pretending like everything was under control, both were admittedly getting more and more worried as the possibility of a premature interception grew closer. As the screeching of the Arwing's engines became audible it was obvious that they wouldn't be ready. Shields, weapons… Everything just needed a bit more time.

"My ship's not going to be online, Wolf. Do we have a plan B?"

"Just relax and follow my lead, cat. I'll get us out of this." The captain replied as he quickly ran a few scenarios through his head, thinking on his feet was one of Wolf's specialties. The meter on the dash was quivering on the 70% marker, there had to be a way to buy just one or two minutes. With both evasive and defensive maneuvers completely out of the question, Wolf had to resort to something he did well- being elusive. Team Star Fox were supposed to be the good guys, maybe their patience could be exploited.

Before they knew it two bright blue streaks shot out triumphantly in front of Wolf and Panther's ships, the trademark squeal of the Arwing's powerful engines following immediately behind. The Cornerian pilots swung their ships in a wide arc before re-approaching the Wolfens from the rear.

"Hail!" Fox's voice lit up their public communication channel. His and Falco's Arwings rode up close, adjusting their speed to tail intimidatingly close behind Star Wolf. "This is Fox McCloud of Team Star Fox speaking on behalf of the Cornerian Army. You're flying in heavily restricted Cornerian airspace. Identify yourselves immediately."

"Don't say a WORD to them." Wolf shouted out to Panther on the private channel, growling under his breath. Keeping their external lights off and traveling in the middle of the night meant that it was too dark for their Wolfens to be immediately identified, he planned on using that to buy as much time as possible. The meter on his dashboard was approaching the 90% marker.

"Wolf if they-"

"Don't talk, just listen. As soon as we're ready to engage our weapons, slam on the brakes. We're going to force them to overtake us then light them up. Hit them when they don't expect it. Got it?"

"If you don't identify yourselves we'll be forced to shoot you down." Fox cautioned as Wolf spoke.

"Understood, captain... I think the Black Rose is ready to feast." Wolf nodded, preparing himself for the attack. Beforehand, however, there was something he knew he had to do. The canine took a brief second to switch the ship's communicator to his private channel.

"Leon, are you here?" He spoke, surprisingly calm sounding despite the circumstances.

"I'm always here, Boss. Shouldn't you be focusing?"

"...Do you remember what I told you? About your mission?"

"Of course, Boss."

"Leon I-... In case I don't get to say it later..."

"..."

"Nevermind."

"Fox they ain't listenin'. Let me swat 'em."

"Give them another couple seconds, Falco. What if they're having technical problems? I'd feel awful."

"C'mon let's just scratch these monkeys and go home. I'm tired."

"If we shoot them down there'll be a lot more work to do, birdbrain."

"For you maybe I'm just- Wait… Fox where'd they go?"

"W-what? I just looked away for a-"

The sound of violently loud engines engaging instantly drowned out their intercom chatter. Bright red lights snapped on, bathing the area around them in a sinister bloody hue and overpowering their senses.

"We meet again, Star Fox."

Fox gasped and jolted to attention, having been caught completely off guard. But by the time he had wrestled control of the throttle it was already too late. The captain's ship rocked intensely as it took alternating hits to the engines from what felt like high-powered laser cannons. Warning lights snapped on across the control panel as something was taken offline but he wasn't yet able to determine what, his first priority was to remove himself from the line of fire.

His footpaw smashed down on the accelerator as he took his ship into a sharp bank to avoid further damage. The Arwing was small and nimble, giving it the ability to turn faster than most assailants could react. At about the midpoint of the turn, however, Fox realized that something was wrong. Pressure built up in his body and blood began to rush from his head. Breathing became light and the curtain started to close on his vision. The heavy gravitational forces that generated from his flight were no longer being negated, causing circulatory problems. It would appear that the G-diffuser, essential to piloting at high speeds and taking breakneck turns, was no longer functioning; something he remembered having trained for at the academy. Fox knew that if didn't slow down soon it was going to be lights out. In his desperation the pilot hit the brakes and reduced the throttle, pulling out of the bank prematurely.

As Fox weaved out of the way he caught a glimpse of the ship behind him rocketing off, even with his vision fading it was clear who it was. The captain cursed himself for not noticing sooner. The enemy fighter was sharp and angular, crimson on gunmetal grey... It was Star Wolf. Fox began to regain his senses as the reduction in speed allowed the blood to circulate properly through his body.

"Falco- Falco come in. You there?"

"I'm here. He clipped my wing but I'm flyin'. Whoever this guy is he's good man, he's right behind me and I can't shake him. You okay over there Fox?"

"My g-diffuser's offline… And I think they took out my right fin I'm-... I'm having a hard time turning." Fox kept his eye on the Wolfen as he wrestled with his controls, mind racing as he tried to inventory what options he had. The opposing pilot began to pull into a U-Turn off in the distance, reorienting himself for a strafing run against the helpless Arwing. The public intercom channel crackled on again, static hissed for a moment before a gruff voice patched through.

"What's wrong with your Arwing, Fox? I thought your ships were the best in the galaxy." Wolf teased.

"You're not getting Oikonny back, Wolf. Falco and I won't let you."

"Hah, you think I care for your army's little squabbles? This is personal, Fox."

Shots rained down on the Arwing as Wolf blasted past his flank, the impacting lasers leaving large craters in the ship's fuselage. Fox shouted as the cockpit jostled fiercely.

"Mm-m." Panther cleared his throat over the intercom before speaking for the first time, making sure to gather their attention. "Perhaps I should introduce myself to your little bird friend here before I kill him. My name is Panther Caroso and you'll be my meal tonight."

"Hey fuck you buddy." Falco shouted, getting hot-headed with frustration. "I don't care who you are, you'll be a rug when we're through."

Panther chortled. "Hush, I don't argue with my food."

Fox's heart raced as he played out possible scenarios in his head, none of them had a happy ending. Quick evasive maneuvers were completely out of the question and standard low-speed piloting wasn't going to cut it against ships as advanced as the Wolfens. Off in the distance Wolf began to loop back around for another run, hoping this time he could finish the job.

"Falco I-I'm not looking too good, I can't fly without the g-diffuser, I'll black out."

"Don't gamble on it anymore Foxy, you're out of options. You need to eject." Wolf was rapidly closing in for the next barrage, laughing menacingly over the intercom. Fox mentally braced himself, he tried to veer off-course but something like that wasn't going to be enough against an experienced pilot like Wolf.

"I can't eject! Without my ship he'll-" Suddenly, Falco's Arwing screeched across the sky, shooting Wolf off-course with laser fire to buy his teammate some more time. Curiously, the second Wolfen was no longer following him.

"He'll nothin'. I bought you a couple of seconds. You need to eject, Fox. I'll pick you up and we'll make a run for it. Ditch the Arwing."

"Falco- I…"

Before he was able to finish his sentence, the next thing Fox knew his ears were ringing and the cockpit was filling up with smoke. The Arwing had been hit so hard that it rocked him against the canopy, putting a gash in his forehead. Emergency lights and alarms were going off but it was impossible to tell what from what. Blood poured from the open cut and obscured the vision in his left eye, stinging painfully. Overhead the second Wolfen rocketed off victoriously, re-angling itself from the low overhead swoop on Fox's ship.

In his deliriousness Fox tried to wrestle with the controls but the primary engines weren't responding. Nothing was working and his Arwing quickly careened down towards the snow. It wasn't something he'd ever had to use before, but if there was ever a time it would be now. The disgraced captain gritted his teeth, prayed, then pulled the eject cord.

The whole world turned into a blur of white as Fox's body was forcefully thrown from his ship. The parachutes attached to his chair made an attempt to deploy but by that point they were too low to the ground to catch wind. Instead, he landed the hard way- being sent head-first into a large hill of snow. The impact was loud, but not as deafening as the explosion of his Arwing that followed closely behind.


	7. Chapter 7

Somehow, the whole world had turned to a pure white. A high-pitch ringing drowned out whatever sounds would normally penetrate the fox's ears, the only other thing he could hear was his own breath. For that moment, everything was almost blissful. Alone, surrounded by nothing and coddled by the earth.

" _FOX?! FOX ANSWER ME_!"

Somewhere off in the distance a muffled shout began to come to Fox's attention. He couldn't feel anything in his body except for fatigue, yet the familiar voice was beginning to inspire urgency.

" _FOX, JESUS CHRIST WHERE ARE YOU?"_ The desperate shouting continued. The first thing the captain began to think was annoyance. What couldn't wait? What was so urgent that he couldn't lie there for just a couple more minutes? Finally, as his emerald-colored eyes began to bring the world into focus everything started to trickle back. He hadn't died, but that might almost be something easier to accept.

 _"WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS FOX YOU NEED TO PICK UP."_

"F-F-... Falco?" Fox grunted out as the reality of the situation faded back in. The colors started bleeding through; the black night sky, pure white snow, the red painted all over his… Uh oh. "Falco I-..." Fox's voice strained against the cold as he struggled to regain control of himself. As his sense of feeling came back he realized how cold and exposed he was out here like this.

He tried to move his arm but a shock on pain jolted through his body, causing him to whimper like a pup. Everything was hurting; pain in his arms, in his legs… Nothing seemed to be free of agony. Nearby a pile of smoldering Arwing shrapnel lay, illuminating the darkness as it burned.

 _"Fox this REALLY isn't funny anymore."_ Falco's voice was beginning to sound fraught with defeat, the captain knew this couldn't stand. He started to gather whatever remaining strength he had left in him. Despite being shell-shocked, injured and incapacitated Fox knew he had to let Falco know he was alive.

Using his teammate's anguish as motivation he slowly and painfully began to pull his body out of the snow and onto his shaky feet. Almost immediately as he brought himself upright thick drips of blood ran down his muzzle and speckled the area around him. His fur was matted and disheveled, impact wounds running blood down his head and arm and rendering his left eye completely useless. Even still, none of this was enough to dampen his motivation. He'd survived, that's what was important. The only thing he could think about now was how he was going to get out of here.

Fox limped himself around looking for the source of Falco's voice. His communicator had come off in the landing and was thrown somewhere nearby… Using the sounds of shouting and static that emitted to track it down it wasn't long before Fox stood over his buried treasure. He dipped his right paw deep into the snow and felt around for a moment before pulling out his prize.

"H-hey… Falco." He coughed into the receiver. The fox's voice was weak and he flecked blood across the device when he spoke, normally he'd worry about some kind of internal bleeding but now wasn't the time. "F-Falco I'm here. I'm alive."

"Fox… Christ I've never been more happy to hear your voice. Listen, can you hear me okay? Do you understand me?"

"Yes, yes…"

"Look I wish we had time to celebrate but there's still a fight going on and you need to hide. I saw Wolf land his ship, I think it was somewhere around where you wrecked. Fox I can't come get you yet. This new guy's good… He's keeping me wrapped up right now. I'll be down to get you as soon as I can Fox. Just please. Lay. Low. Find your gun if you can."

"O-okay I'll try…" Fox's voice shook as he scanned the area in front of him with his one good eye. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to defend himself like this- after all he could barely even see.

"You'll 'try' nothing." A gruff voice spoke up loudly from behind him, Fox jumped in his surprise, dropping his communicator back in the snow as his hand instinctively snapped to where he holsters his pistol. Despite his dazed state the captain's well-trained reflexes were still fast, but that didn't matter when you're not carrying a gun. A loud _thud_ emanated from the back of his skull. Whatever shred of consciousness Fox had scrapped together was knocked out of him once more, the world turning dark as he fell back into the snow.

Wolf shook his fist out from the punch as he chuckled to himself, the familiar sting in his knuckles felt good. He leaned over and reached into the snow to pull Fox's communicator back out, at the same time he grabbed the fallen captain by the collar and aggressively pulled his limp body up off of the ground. "I've got your boyfriend here, bird." He spoke to Falco, using the same receiver that Fox had been holding just moments ago. He wrapped his arm around the boy's chest and hoisted him up over his shoulder victoriously. "If you don't fly your prissy little tail back to base right now I swear to god I'll do things to him that you couldn't even imagine."

His words were met with a few moments of radio silence, his teammate clearly had no idea how to respond- this wasn't a situation he'd had to consider before and not being from the academy he wasn't as well trained in this as his teammates. Eventually the channel crackled awake and an unsure voice was transmitted through.

"You wouldn't do shit to him, Wolf. You're a coward." With his friend's life on the line Falco's unending well of confidence seemed to be running dry. "Only cowards take hostages. You know if you gave me the time I'd take down both of you, single handed."

"You really want to test me right now, pheasant?" Wolf spoke, already halfway back to his ship by this point with the captain slung over him like a sack of potatoes. Blood was staining his meticulously designed outfit but he didn't care. In fact, in certain markets that just made it more desirable. "You don't know how many people I've been responsible for killing, including this kid's own father. Leave. Leave and let the others know that your captain belongs to Star Wolf now. We're taking him." More silence followed, much longer this time. By the time that Falco replied Wolf had already opened up his Wolfen's canopy and was climbing up to toss his shiny new trophy behind the seat.

"...You know this isn't the end of this, Wolf. We won't let you hurt him." With those final words, the sole remaining Arwing lingered for a moment, then pulled its wings back and sped off from whence it came.

"Shall I run him down, captain?" Panther asked calmly.

"Let him go, Panther. You've done enough for today." Wolf watched the light travel away from them until he was confident that Falco wasn't coming back. As soon as he was out of sight the canine pushed Fox into his cockpit, getting to work on cramming him in the storage space behind the seat. It was just barely large enough to fit somebody of his size.

"Putting him in your Wolfen? The bird is gone, you can end it here if you like."

"He's more useful to us alive than he is dead. I'm putting the brakes on this mission, for all I care we've already won. Leon, start to pack up your things. We're leaving this godforsaken rock. We didn't get Andrew but we got something just as good. Something they probably want back."

"...Leon?"


	8. Chapter 8

Leon could feel the cold seeping into his reptilian skin and he lay buried, curled up underneath a mound of snow with his belongings still strewn about in the open. The lights in the Cornerian military base had all snapped on without warning, the bright flood lamps overpowering the dark night of the icy planet. Emergency alarms sounded off as soldiers scattered to and fro, equipping themselves and manning their positions to prepare for a potential threat. Those that took post in the watch towers scanned the surrounding area with their search lamps and, unfortunately, one had spotted Leon's little camp. No doubt that the word of Star Wolf's presence had already been relayed back.

" _Leon_ -" Boss's voice called his name but the chameleon was too far away to respond. In his desperate scrambling he'd left everything topside, including his communicator. It was still tucked away in his coat pocket, too far to reach from his hiding place. Boss continued to speak and from what he could gather it sounded like the mission was being called off, it was far too late to go anywhere now. They'd already gotten a bead on him and any further movement could give away his concealment.

The tonal change in the Cornerian outpost was so sudden that Leon didn't have much time to react. While he was preparing to reposition the spotlight panned over his footsteps and tracked them to his belongings, forcing him into a snap decision. He chose to hide himself away by diving into a nearby mound of snow, gambling on the chance that they might just leave him be or possibly wouldn't notice. Cold, desperate and running out of time, he wracked his brain for secondary escape plans. Leon gripped his combat knife tight in his three-fingered mitt as he waited for the inevitable scout team to approach. The longer he waited the lower his body temperature got; already out of his element the reptile knew he couldn't stay there for very long.

" _Behind me! Stick close!_ " The shouting of a squadron rang out from the bottom of the hill as they exited their guard tower. Alongside them Leon could hear more of Wolf's increasingly worried voice transmitting through the communicator. He'd considered making a break for it but the ship was too far away and the gear he'd have to leave behind was too valuable. If the Cornerians got ahold of the communicator they might be able to decipher Star Wolf's private communication's channel, or worse- find their location. Boss would never forgive him then. No- he had to stay and hope that everything blew over. That was the only way out of this mess.

" _Marcus, when we get up there I want you to secure that rifle. Dale, wrap around the other side_." The sound of the squad's footsteps crunching in the snow was rapidly growing louder as they approached his position. Leon could feel his heart rate accelerating. Just seconds of waiting felt like hours before they came into view, heads peeking over the crest of the hill. It was a trio of K-9s, all equipped with full body armor/helmets and wielding standard-issue Cornerian Assault Rifles. They moved with purpose, scanning the area with their weapons raised to be alert in the event of a threat.

As they came upon the camp two of them quickly got to work looking over the items on the ground; one pushed the jacket aside with the barrel of his firearm to investigate the communicator while the other grabbed the sniper rifle and slung the strap over his back. He clearly struggled with the weight of it for a moment, something that made Leon have to suppress a chuckle. The third soldier looked like he was higher up in the chain of command. He stepped away from the others and headed directly towards the hidden chameleon's mound of snow, looking at it curiously. Leon's chilled muscles tensed with anxiety.

"Hey, boys. There's a kicked up pile over here. I think whoever was here buried something."

"You gunna check it out?"

"Yeah, watch my back."

As he spoke he slowly started to advance on Leon's position, not knowing that his rifle was aimed directly at a member of Star Wolf. Leon squeezed the leather grip of his upside-down knife in his right hand as he prepared for a possible fight, it was the only weapon he had in his possession so he had to use it well. He played out possible scenarios in his head and not many of them ended in Leon's favor; the others had the advantage of distance and with their assault rifles versus Leon's single knife, the writing was on the wall. That said, he knew he couldn't go down without a fight. One way or another, fear had no place here. The chameleon's tongue ran over his lips in anticipation. It had been a while since he'd had a good brawl.

As soon as the dog's boot crunched down in front of Leon's line of sight he knew it was time. He burst out of the ground letting out a terrifyingly loud hiss as a wave of snow scattered around him. Body pumped full of adrenaline Leon made a low horizontal slash with his knife, cutting a gash into the unprotected parts of the surprised soldier's gut. He stumbled backwards and dropped his gun, clutching at the new wound as flecks of blood decorated the fresh white snow. His teammates shouted but by this point Leon was too far gone to hear their words. Taking advantage of the moment he followed up by twisting around, using the momentum to plunge the steel blade deep into his adversary's sternum; a sickening _crack_ rang out as it pierced straight through the protective vest like paper.

Leon's chest heaved and his muscles reeled from the feat of strength, both hands firmly grasping the knife's hilt. Blood had splashed back on his face, liberally dousing his psychotic sneer in red. He enjoyed a lot of things in life but few he relished as much as moments like this. The chameleon hunched over close to the dazed canine and used his body to obstruct the teammate's line of sight, taking a moment to think on his feet and assess the next best course of action. Being Cornerians they most assuredly wouldn't open fire if they thought they might hit their friend.

Knowing that the knife was lodged too deep into the dog's chest to easily pull out, he let go of it and moved to unholster the backup pistol from the soldier's waistband instead. With the heavy weight of the man collapsing over on top of him Leon had to take a moment to struggle with the grip. Eventually, he worked it free and sprung out from behind his cover- pushing the Cornerian to the ground and refocusing on the remaining two. They were shaken but their training had done them well, through the shock and confusion they stood their ground and barked orders with their weapons raised. Leon didn't care.

Before they fired a shot Leon burst out into a sprint, using his reptilian flexibility to hunch over and carry himself low to the ground- counterbalanced by his curled tail. They fired upon him but couldn't seem to connect a shot, the chameleon was too quick and small to easily hit. As he closed the gap he raised his pistol and fired off a quick volley of shots at the solider who was closest, emptying the low-capacity magazine in one burst. A majority of them missed but one connected with his chest while a second made a lucky _plink_ against his helmet, causing his insides to become outsides and make a mess of the ground behind him.

As the last round ejected from the gun the slide locked back in an empty position, waiting for another magazine to be loaded. For a sidearm it didn't have as many shots as Leon was hoping… Regardless, quick on his feet and in his mind Leon performed a deft little turn and hucked the now-useless hunk of metal at the third adversary, beaning him in the visor with a well-placed toss.

" _AAAGH, GODDAMNIT!_ " The canine shouted in pain. The plastic shielding that protected his face had shattered upon impact, sending shards into his muzzle and one of his eyes. They looked painful, causing the soldier to drop his weapon in the snow and clutch at his face. Blood droplets dripped through his fingers as he whimpered, making it apparent that the fight was over.

Leon licked the sides of his grin with his long tongue as he stood and watched his handiwork; the taste of blood exhilarated him and his face was positively covered in it, reds accentuating the greens and yellows in a delightfully sinister way. Since he'd established his dominance he decided to take the next moment to rub it in- having a firm desire to finish the third kill with just his hands. As the chameleon approached, swaying his hips in a taunting manner, the K-9 soldier proved that he was more disciplined than Leon gave him credit for. He ripped his helmet off of his head and tossed it away, almost completely blinded but still determined; he stepped backwards and reached for his hip in one well-practiced movement, pulling his sidearm from its holster and firing one more shot.

Leon knew from what Boss described that there was supposed to be searing pain, but he wasn't feeling it. Sure it was the first time he'd been shot but… The only thing he could feel was anger. Anger and contempt. All he could think about was seeing the insolent mutt in front of him torn to shreds, he didn't have time to be in pain. The chameleon refused to stop, running straight forwards with burning resolve. Another bullet penetrated his body and he responded with a loud, violent hiss. Then everything faded out.

The next thing Leon knew he was on the ground, knees pinning the solider at his arms as he straddled his chest. The dog's face was almost completely unrecognizable, having been reduced to a disgusting pulp. Leon's hands twitched but he couldn't feel them, blood and clumps of fur coating his gloves liberally. He tried to dismount but the second he was standing on his own weight an unbelievable pain bolted through his body, causing him to collapse into the snow. His breathing was labored and came through gritted teeth.

" _So… This is it._ " Leon thought to himself through the haze of pain. He managed to force his eyes open and look down at his body to try and identify his wounds. There was just blood all over; he couldn't tell his own from anybody else's but he knew he was bleeding. " _I guess this is how I die. Alone in the snow._ " A cruel smile crept its way into the corners of his mouth, it was almost funny. " _Not quite as romantic as I was hoping._ " The chameleon rested back and looked up at the sky. He watched his breath linger in the air with each pant. The sirens from the base sounded so distant now…

" _Powalski I swear if you don't respond soon I'm going to come force you to._ "

…It was Boss. Hearing that familiar voice caused Leon's willpower to skyrocket. In the heat of the frenzy he had almost forgotten why he was here and who he was doing this for. Doing his best to ignore the pain Leon rolled over to his side so that he could crawl, clawing at the permafrost with his sore hands to get closer to his jacket. As soon as he was within reach he crammed his hand deep into one of its pockets and pulled out the communicator, leaving a smear of blood and fur all over the outside of the expensive parka.

* _huff… huff…_ * He tried to speak into the receiver but only huffing and wheezing would come out. He didn't realize how hard it was for him to catch his breath.

"Leon, Leon is that you?" Wolf responded eagerly. Leon had to strain at his lungs to speak.

"Boss… Leave."

"Leon what's going on over there? Talk to me. We're still standing by."

"I've… Shot…" He spoke between pants.

"You've been shot? Oh Jesus Leon, what did I-… Can you get out? Are you safe? Panther and I are on the way, you need to hang tight."

"No! Don't come for me." The chameleon blurted.

"What? Why?"

"I… There's more. They know we're-… They'll shoot you down." There were a lot of thoughts he wanted to get out but each breath only allowed him to express a few words at a time. "There's no hope for me."

"Don't be a fool." A third voice finally spoke up, the baritone beauty of Panther's vocal chords took over the communication's channel. "They're Cornerians, Leon. If you're injured and unarmed they'll capture you and treat your wounds. You're worth a lot more alive to them than you are dead. Make some noise, summon some more and they'll save you. Wolf and I will bail you out afterwards."

"Are you suggesting he turn himself in? That won't happen Panther, we're going to pick him up." Wolf replied, Leon hung tight and listened for further instruction.

"Think about it Boss, if we fly to them now it'll be a death trap. Let them treat his injuries, take advantage of their kindness and then we'll get him back." There was a moment of contemplation before the captain responded.

"…Fine." Wolf spoke, hesitantly. As humiliating as it was, he had to admit that Panther's plan probably had the best chances of survival. "Do it, what the cat says. Give yourself to them for now. Just… please be careful."

"…Yes Boss." And without another word Leon tucked his communicator away, starting to crawl his broken, bleeding body towards the spot in the snow where his sniper rifle had been thrown aside. Firing that was sure to gather more attention than was warrented.


	9. Chapter 9

The majority of Fox's trip in the Wolfen was spent unconscious, stuffed away uncomfortably behind Wolf's pilot seat. He did eventually come to when they were close to their arrival but the captain was smart enough to not try anything risky. He wasn't handcuffed or restrained in any way but Fox still knew he wasn't in any position to put up a fight. If anything Wolf kept him unrestrained on purpose to taunt him, bait him into resisting so that he'd be justified in dishing out another beating. After all the greymuzzle was physically larger than him and kept himself armed in god-knows how many ways.

The two Star Wolf pilots didn't waste their breath filling the trip back with unneeded conversation; instead they kept the comms as quiet as the vacuum of space- ears tingled only by the internal noises of the engines. The tone was grim and Wolf had too much on his mind, letting his silence speak in his stead. Only after they had arrived back at their mothership and docked the Wolfens did he decide to open his maw.

" _I know you're awake._ " Wolf grumbled, his voice was quiet but stern. He didn't make eye contact as he manually popped the seal on the canopy. " _Drag yourself out of my ship before you stain it with more of your blood._ " Fox swallowed hard as he heard the command, he didn't realize how dry his throat was. Mustering up whatever energy he had left he managed to raise his body up off the floor and follow Wolf out of the cockpit, sliding down the side panel and landing with an " _Oof_ " on all fours. He panted with his head down as the poor fox tried to catch his breath. Everything just felt dizzy.

Watching him struggle made Wolf grow impatient, he didn't have time for this kind of nonsense. He motioned over to Panther to get him to take charge and the feline was quick to oblige. Before he knew it two large boots had stepped down in Fox's peripheral vision, a large paw grabbed him by the back of the jacket and aggressively hoisted him to his feet.

"Hands in front of you. Come now." Panther spoke as his bright yellow eyes bore into Fox's skull. At this point the boy knew that whatever chances he had at escaping were left behind in the Wolfen; from now on the best chances of survival would be to follow whatever they said, banking on whatever humanity the space-pirates had hidden away in them. The captain stared at his feet as he raised his hands out in front of him, noticing the he struggled with the left more than the right. Almost immediately he was rewarded with a pair of handcuffs roughly fastened around his wrists.

Taking their captive by the arm, the duo walked him across the ship for what felt to Fox like an eternity. He tried to look around and get a good mental map of his surroundings but his vision was blurry, everything looked out of focus and it was impossible to really take anything in. After some time they reached a door tucked away at the end of a hall and just like that the door was opened, Fox was tossed in and then the door was closed again. Leaving the fallen captain alone to whimper in the darkness.

* * *

"Are you sure we should just be leaving him there, Wolf?" Panther asked, leaning over the countertop with a warm cup of coffee in his paw. The last 24 hours had really taken a toll on them, both were already changed out of their pilot's clothing and were taking the moment to reassess their circumstances. "He may have still been bleeding."

"I don't care, that kid and his bird-friend are the reason we're in this mess in the first place. He should be thanking me for being kind enough to not execute him on the spot."

"Agreed. Your quick thinking got us out of what could have been a much worse situation, captain."

"Yeah, us. As in me and you. For all I know Leon could be dead and in the ground already... God you don't know how badly I want to fish that boy out of the closet and pummel him." Wolf seethed, fist clenched on the tile.

"We should probably go easy on him, he didn't look like he was... All there. The landing may have done some serious damage."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'm not _that_ dense." Wolf's words had an undertone of a snarl to them as he thought to himself, he was more worried about his teammate than he was anything else. "…Think Pepper would trade for him?"

"Trade what, Fox for Leon?"

"No, idiot. Fox for a bag of chips. Of course Fox for Leon, what else?"

"Well… This mission was about Oikonny, was it not?" Panther retorted. Wolf was silent for a moment, having almost completely forgotten about his promise.

"Shit… Well, Oikonny might have to wait then."

"I don't think either of them have much time, to be honest with you captain. They know we've got our eyes on them."

"Well what the hell am I supposed to do? Trade for Oikonny and leave Leon to rot? Absolutely not, that ape isn't even half the man that Powalski is."

"That may be true, but I wouldn't rule out bargaining for both. Fox is a galaxy-renowned hero after all. I'm sure not only the general but the Cornerian public would love him back."

"Yeah, well we'll have to try at least. Go get Fox, little doggy bitch like that you know he's got Pepper's number on speed-dial. We'll get ahold of him as soon as possible. Besides, Fox has had enough rest already." Panther nodded, Wolf was a bit abrasive but certainly knew how to get the job done. He took a deep drink from his mug before placing it in the sink.

"At once, captain."

* * *

Fox had given up resisting; as his canine eyes adjusted to the darkness he found himself just barely able to make out his surroundings… and it was nothing good. Cleaning supplies mostly but there were also some surplus rations and other emergency food stuffs. It was eerily reminiscent of their broom closets back on the Great Fox, almost as if Star Wolf were just normal animals too. As Fox took in his surroundings he was interrupted without warning, jumping in surprise as the metal door to the makeshift prison shot open. The outside light flooded in and a large imposing figure presented itself in the doorway.

" _Get up_." A powerful voice commanded. Fox shuffled to his feet, gaining his balance was a slow and difficult process with both of his hands cuffed in front of him. His ears were folded submissively against his head as he locked eyes with his feet. " _Good dog._ " The light switch in the room was flicked on, it would appear that Panther was the one that had been sent to greet him. Fox couldn't tell how big Star Wolf was anymore, maybe it was just those two.

As the florescent bulbs bathed the room in flickering white light they revealed the fallen captain in all of his former glory. He was a mess; sitting in a smear of red with his orange fur matted and disheveled. His head injury appeared to still be open but the bleeding had stopped, that entire side of his face was streaked with blood and it had started to travel down his pilot's suit as well. His eye was still closed and unusable. Panther almost felt pity at the sight. This was his first true encounter with the pilot, all of his disdain came second-hand from his teammates.

"If you're going to kill me, just get it over with." Fox spoke out of turn, he spat blood out of his mouth to punctuate his sentence. Almost immediately his words were responded to with a loud, open-palm smack across the muzzle. It wasn't in Panther's intention to cause damage but it still made the boy stumble, collapsing into the metal shelf behind him.

"I didn't say you could speak." The intimidatingly large cat spoke, hand still raised from the hit. "You living or dying depends entirely on how quickly you can learn your place. Judging by how you're here now I wouldn't say that you're a smart fox but the fact that you're alive means you must at least be adaptable." Fox glared at him out of the side of his usable eye but didn't respond. It seemed like the lesson had already sunk in.

Panther lowered his paw and stared down at the fox in front of him, using his stature to assert his dominance over the Star Wolf captive. As soon as he was confident that Fox knew the force that he was dealing with the feline relaxed just a tad. He reached behind his back and procured a small red bag, beginning to unzip it with his claw.

"You've got quite the gash on your head." Panther kneeled down to get on Fox's level, placing the bag on the ground and beginning to root through it. Inside various medical supplies were laid out; gauze, tape, bandages, pills… Nothing extraordinary but enough to provide emergency relief where needed. Panther took a needle and thread into one hand as he used the other to slip the belt off from around his waist. "I'll help you, but one peep out of that filthy Cornerian mouth and I won't hesitate to claw it off your face. Understand me?" Fox still had a fierce look in him but he nodded in compliance. As soon as they'd reached their understanding Panther raised his belt up to the boy's muzzle. "Good. Now bite on this and don't squirm."

It took a lot of effort, willpower and a hell of a lot of biting, but Fox managed to keep his composure while Panther kneeled over him and stitched his wound closed. Despite the feline's large paws he seemed to be fairly dexterous with them. This was the fox's first time receiving stitches so he wasn't exactly sure what to expect. While he knew it was going to help the healing process, knowledge alone didn't stop the pain from causing tears to well in his eyes. Before he knew it, however, the end of the thread was snipped and was tied into a small knot to keep it in place. As soon as he was certain it was over Fox opened his eye and looked up, not knowing what was planned for him next.

"Good dog. Sit still." The large cat commanded, Fox was sure not to disobey. The belt was taken from his mouth and Panther wiped the saliva off on his slacks. "Your teeth are awfully sharp." He spoke, looking over the little puncture marks that were left behind. He was starting to regret giving Fox one of his leather belts instead of just a piece of cloth. Panther sighed and put it aside before returning his attention to the bag. This time he took out a roll of white bandage tape, unraveling the end and beginning to wrap it around the side of Fox's head. This part went by a lot easier than the suturing.

"Where else are you hurt?" Panther asked as he finished the job, cutting the tape with his sharp claw to separate it from the roll. Fox just looked up at him, unsure if he should speak or not. "I asked you a question. You can talk."

"I-…" He stuttered. "I think we might need a doctor for this one."

"Show me."

* * *

Wolf's ears perked up when he heard two sets of feet echoing down the metal hallways, growing louder as they approached the common room. He wasn't quite prepared for an interaction with their captive yet but if Panther was bringing him out already it must be imperative. The tired dog took a swig from one of his expensive bottles of whiskey before twisting the cap back on and placing it down on the table next to his chair. His legs were spread and he hung his head down in between them, arms crossed with his elbows firmly on his knees. The alcohol burned his esophagus just in the way that he loved.

"Captain, I think the boy needs medical care." Panther spoke as he yanked Fox into the room by his cuffs. He was looking a bit better, the bandage around his head was new and the blood had been washed and brushed from his fur. His eye was still red with irritation but he appeared to be at least able to see from it.

"What the fuck else is new, Panther?" Wolf spoke firmly, raising himself from his chair. His sharp purple eye glared at Fox, a boy too nervous to return the contact. "I liked him better when he was bleeding."

"Certainly. There's just the matter of… Something that could be considered critical. I'd like your input."

"What, did I _hurt_ you, pretty boy?" The captain taunted as he squared up against his former rival. Standing directly in front of him made their size difference pretty apparent. Wolf had at least an extra foot of height and easily 50 more pounds of muscle if not more. Panther grabbed the hem of Fox's top and lifted it up for him, showing Wolf what he was referring to.

"The boy complained about pain in his chest over here, from what I can see I think he may have a broken rib or two." The feline spoke as he traced the area he was referring to with a claw. Wolf shrugged.

"What, you're not telling me that a broken rib is really critical are you? You know how many of those I've had?"

"Not the main concern, captain. But if you look here-" He raised Fox's arms so he could pull the shirt up further, Fox made a little whimper in response. "You see his collarbone?"

It was hard to miss what Panther was referring to. Fox's left collarbone appeared to be cracked and part of it jutted out against the skin, causing a painful looking lump. There was no obvious external injury that they could see with all the fur in the way but it was apparent that it was bad. Fox could barely move his arm on his own, much less hold any weight with it. Wolf huffed dismissively, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket and lighting one in his muzzle.

"Got anything else you wanna show me?" He asked after taking a drag.

"No, that appears to be everything major that we found." Panther replied, lowing Fox's shirt back down.

"Good." The canine sneered, "You're lucky that I didn't kill you right on the spot, McCloud. Couple cracked bones is nothing compared to what I could do to you. In fact…" He mulled something over in his head for a moment, trying to decide if it was too much or not. "No, I want you to _thank_ me. I let you live and it's only proper that you thank me for it."

Fox looked up from his feet and was greeted with the sight of Wolf looming over him, smoke billowing from his nose with cigarette in hand. For the moment his pride held fast. He hesitated, knowing that he couldn't give the man responsible for his father's death that kind of satisfaction. But… Given the dire circumstances, Fox quickly came to the realization that his pride could take a hit while the rest of him might not be able to.

"…Mmrph…" He unintelligibly mumbled some words that could resemble a "Thank you." This caused Wolf to grin a toothy smile, taking at least a bit of pleasure out of the trainwreck of a day.

"You're going to have to repeat that, pretty boy. Louder."

"…thank you."

"Yeah? What are you thanking me for? Don't be a punk, I think you want to be on my good side right now." Fox took in a deep sigh before raising his head to speak to Wolf's face directly.

"Thank you for not killing me. Thank you for sparing my life."

"Yeah well don't get too attached to it, Punk." Wolf touched Fox's chin with a single claw, holding him there to look at him in the eyes. "Acting like this around here you won't last for long. I buried James, didn't I? You think I won't do the same to you the second it's convenient?" That struck a bit of a nerve with Fox but he tried his best to hide it. A little growl snuck out between gritted teeth before he was able to contain himself. This made Wolf laugh. "Aww, how _cute_." The canine spoke. "Get ahold of this guy, Panther. Growling at me, Wolf O'Donnell. You know I've killed people for less." He gave Fox a quick boot to the kneecap, kicking his leg out from under him. Fox grunted and collapsed down onto one knee. Panther was quick to change the subject, helping Fox up back on his feet.

"Do you want me to hail Sargasso and get them to send over a doctor?"

"No- no we can't let them know that we have him. He's our secret, our little plaything. You know how I don't like to share my toys. For now…" Wolf shifted his focus back to what was important. "For now we need to use him for something else anyways. You ready to work for us, son of James McCloud?" Fox wasn't sure if he was to speak, he was still recovering from his tumble. Wolf waited a moment before following up. "I asked you a question."

"I-I don't know, Wolf. Work?"

"It's easy, all you need to do for us is call your daddy, Pepper. Something that I'm sure you've done a hundred times. Can you do that for us?" The captive looked at Wolf, then at Panther. He wasn't sure if it was a joke or not.

"Just… Call him?"

"Yeah, we got some words to exchange."

"Sure, I mean… I guess I can do that."


	10. Chapter 10

"You miss me, Pepper?" The screen in front of Wolf was occupied by the general's aging face as the communication line was finally answered. Even using Fox's number the man was difficult to get ahold of.

"O'Donnell. Somehow I thought I might hear from you."

"I'm not surprised." Wolf spoke with a toothy smile, showing his frighteningly sharp fangs off to the camera. "I'm sure you know why I'm calling." Pepper exhaled a deep sigh, trying to maintain his composure.

"I was afraid of that. This is about McCloud, isn't it? You know where he's at, don't you?" Wolf crossed his arms, making a quick glance over to his teammate. Just out of frame is where he stood, holding Fox by the handcuffs.

"Yeah, you could say I might know something. But, before we get into that I'm actually on the prowl for my own men. Two of them to be specific. Would you know anything about that?"

"Out of respect for both of our time, O'Donnell; I'd prefer if we just cut straight to the point. I assume you're looking for your old teammates. Well, at the very least I can assure you that they're both alive. Andrew Oikonny and Leon Powalski have been placed in custody, charged with the innumerable crimes they've committed against the Cornerian people and neither will be released under any circumstances. If you've got information on the whereabouts of Fox McCloud we'd gladly pay you for it, but those men belong to the Cornerian justice system from this point onwards."

"Hmph, funny. You think I have _information_ do you? Well how's this for information?" Wolf turned and waved a beckoning paw towards Panther. Fox immediately stumbled into view of the camera. Beaten and ragged but still breathing. Pepper had to suppress his surprise.

"M-McCloud?" His regal voice waivered for just a moment, "So, it seems that Falco was telling the truth. With his flight box damaged we didn't have any recordings of the encounter… Are you okay, Fox? Have they hurt you?" Wolf grabbed Fox by the muzzle, aggressively manipulating his head and forcing his jaw shut.

"No, you don't get to talk to him. You talk directly to ME, Pepper."

"…It's very unfortunate to see your latent talents continue to serve such a sinister purpose, Wolf." The general spoke, wording his indignation as diplomatically as he could.

"I have no ties to any 'sinister purpose'." Wolf pushed Fox back out of frame, he'd proven the boy was alive and that was more than enough. He approached the camera, getting close and personal with his adversary to make sure his words and the temper that drove them came through clearly. "It's simple; you kidnapped my guys and I want them back. Me, my actions and my alliances aren't what you should be worried about here, you should be worrying about your little bitch. What kind of legendary pilot gets shot down by some old bandits? If he's the best you got I should run you all through myself."

"I know you didn't call just to taunt me, Star Wolf. What do you want for Fox?"

"I told you, old man. Leon and Andrew. The men you kidnapped. Both returned to us. Unharmed."

"Absolutely not. Those men are bandits with the deaths of hundreds to thousands attributed to them galaxy-wide. They won't be released under any circumstances."

"Well that's a goddamn shame, because they're all I want. And if I don't get what I want we'll just have to find some fun and creative ways to take it out on your little errand boy here. I'm sure the Cornerians would _love_ you then."

Pepper's tone turned grim as he realized that Wolf wasn't going to comply under any other conditions; he thought he'd be able to bribe him with money but the man seemed to have stronger morals than he'd given him credit for. Being the general of the Cornerian army Pepper certainly had the ability to pull some strings, make an executive decision and simply go through with a two-for-one trade; but what kind of precedent would that set for the future? That the Cornerian people would comply with dubious criminals, release maniacs out to return to terrorizing the galaxy after they'd already been captured? No, there had to be some other option. He mulled a few ideas around in his head before opening his mouth again to present a different, possibly tougher offer.

"Both Leon and Andrew will not be returned to you, that's not something I can comply with. That said, I would be willing to return _one_ to you in exchange for McCloud's life. One-for-one sounds perfectly fair to me."

"One isn't going to cut it," Wolf spoke, raising his voice in aggravation. He pointed a finger directly at the general, his claw making a clink against the screen. "You know, criminals are dime a dozen but 'heroes' like your little orange fox here? These guys are in short supply. I think the value of what I've got to offer is just a bit higher than yours, wouldn't you agree? I'm getting BOTH."

"The terms are set, Wolf. I won't be budging for you any further. I will trade one of your thugs for Captain McCloud's safe return. Since you apparently know how to contact me, call me back when you've made your decision. If we don't hear from you, both of your men will be sentenced and we'll retrieve Fox by force. I'd rather not resort to that. Understood?"

" _I don't think you-_ "

"Good." General Pepper interrupted. With that final word the line of communication was severed, room falling dark as the transmission screen turned black once again. The three stood in silence for a moment, Wolf left quietly seething by the stubbornness of the Cornerians.

"…He drives a tough deal." Panther was the first to speak as he crossed the room to turn the lights back on. He felt a bit disconnected from a decision as deeply emotional as the one presented due to his lack of time spent on Star Wolf. He'd never formed a proper bond with Andrew and didn't explicitly enjoy Leon's presence.

"Tough?" Wolf scoffed, "These dogs disgust me. They turn their back on their own 'hero' just to hold up their pathetic morals. How does it feel?" The captain turned to Fox and grabbed him by the white tuft of hair on his head, pulling himself frighteningly close to shout in the captive's face. "How the FUCK does it feel to be abandoned by your own people? These people you fought to SAVE and they just tossed you to the wolves." Flecks of saliva spotted Fox's face as he took the brunt of Wolf's aggression, eyes wide open and trying to predict what was going to happen next.

"I-I…"

"You and your people are PATHETIC." Wolf released his grasp and pushed Fox backwards, causing him to topple over onto the ground with a whine. Without skipping a beat the grey canine grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him back up to his feet, flinging him over towards Panther. "Put him back where he belongs, we'll talk in private."

* * *

Wolf meant what he said when he asked Panther to meet him to discuss matters in private, but found himself simply locked away in his room instead. Cigarette smoke lingered hazily in the air as the Star Wolf leader sucked down his third in a row. Ashes littered the floor underneath him and mixed into the dark colored fur on his bare feet. Pepper's proposition played in his head over and over, so badly he wanted to call the general on his bluff but deep down he knew the old man's pride would never let him change his mind. And while he didn't want to admit it, if the Cornerians knew where the Star Wolf hideout was it wasn't unlikely that they _could_ just take Fox back by force if it came down to that. Wolf and his team were more about being elusive and in the right place at the right time than they were about straight confrontation. He didn't have the manpower to compete with an actual planet-backed army.

Maybe if this was a handful of years ago and the captives were just Andrew and Pigma, things would be a bit easier. But they had _Leon_ and something about that was just different. Throughout their years together Wolf had allowed himself to grow a closer bond with Leon than he'd ever grown with anybody before. Early on in their career the chameleon's prowess as a criminal wasn't hard to spot; what he lacked in direction, individualism and motivation he made up for with his raw skill. He just needed somebody to mold him, give him the leadership and firm hand of guidance that he was missing. Their ability to work and grow off of each other, Wolf's leadership with Leon's undying loyalty, meant that they were rarely ever apart. Living a life of crime and hedonism there was nobody that ever really filled the role of a traditional lover for Wolf, but no matter what happened or where he found himself, Leon was always right there next to him. Other members would come, offer their services and subsequently leave when the timing was convenient, but that chameleon was a constant.

Over the last few months things had certainly taken a turn for the interesting as well, it was impossible for Wolf to not think about that as pieces of Leon's clothing littered his room. They'd grown… Closer. Mostly due to the advances of the chameleon. He'd always been a bit of a freak but his obsession with his Boss had seemed to grow more physical as time passed. Touching him, flirting with him, what started as casual ribbing became something a lot more than that and Wolf had slowly grown accustomed to liking it. While he'd never considered himself… Of that persuasion… Leon was the closest person that Wolf had and being alone in a distant corner of the galaxy for months at a time wore on a man. Plus, in the right light with the right clothing Leon could easily be mistaken for a woman.

The grey canine made a throaty groan and buried his face in his paws, cigarette smoke escaping from the corners of his muzzle. He'd thought he was doing his teammate a favor by sending him in as a non-combatant, it was unlikely that his orders were disobeyed since that wasn't Leon's style. No, Wolf knew the accountability was all on him for putting him in that position, setting him up for capture. " _Am I losing my touch?_ " Wolf thought to himself as his claws ran through his messy, unkempt headfur. They'd been slow for jobs and hadn't had to do much in the years since the end of the war, coasting off of the warchest that was given to them from Andross as well as the money they plundered from enemy forces. Did this downtime make him soft?

"Captain." A muffled voice spoke from the other side of his quarter's door, it was followed by the quick rapping of knuckles. Wolf looked up, flicking the ash from his cigarette away and starting to pull himself together.

"What cat, what do you want? I'm busy."

"I think it's Important that we speak."

"Fine, fine. Come in." Wolf beckoned, the unlocked door slipped open and Panther stepped in. He was looking a bit stressed himself. "What is it?"

"I figured I'd let you know that we've been receiving a flurry of calls, all from Sargasso and the surrounding area." The smoke in a room stung Panther's sensitive nose. He wasn't much of a smoker himself and even with all of the time around his boss he'd never fully grown used to the smell. "I think they were expecting to hear from you about their leader by now. I haven't been picking up- I figured you'd be the best to speak with them."

"Well I don't have anything for them and I probably won't, so you can just tell them to go to hell."

"Captain… Pardon my transgression but I don't think that's a good idea. They seem… Desperate."

"I don't _care_ what they seem to be, the Cornerians have Leon and that's the end of the story. The mission's over, this wasn't part of the deal and we won't be assisting them any further."

"Have you considered that Leon may be just a bit better equipped to handle this than Andrew?" Panther spoke carefully, he walked across the room and placed himself down next to Wolf on his bed. Sitting down with his tail flicking nervously over the sheets.

"Of course he is, Andrew's a pilot and a leader but he's not a fighter. Never has been."

"That's my point, Leon… Maybe he can break himself out. Or from another angle, maybe there's simply a different answer to this that will make both you and Oikonny's boys happy. If you rescue their leader, you'll win favor with them, maybe they'll lend their forces to help us save Powalski. It's not like the Cornerians are going to execute him, that's not their-"

"No, absolutely not." Wolf interrupted, his voice was firm. "Getting involved at all was a mistake and I'm not going in deeper than I have to. We get Leon then we're done, end of story. We're not fighting with them or helping them any further." Panther sighed, choosing not to pursue the conversation any deeper. His leader's stubbornness was a double-edged sword. When he made a decision like this he'd stick to it, the man was impossible to sway and it was clear to the feline that Wolf was acting more out of emotion than he was acting logically. After a few moments of sitting quietly Wolf broke the silence, sensing the tense feelings in the air. "If you have something to say to me, spit it out."

"I feel like you're acting against your own better judgment."

"Yeah? And how's that?" The corner of Wolf's maw raised in a bit of a questioning snarl. Panther initially hesitated but ultimately decided that what needed to be said, needed to be said.

"They're going to run us through if we turn our backs on them, I'm confident in that. Those men are aggressive, not much more organized or mature than a street gang but there are a lot of them and they know where our hideout is. I feel that by not helping them we're inviting more trouble than if we do. Their backs are against the wall and drawing their ire while being under the lens of the Cornerian Army again, that may be the end of our story."

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Wolf spoke earnestly, flicking his cigarette between his fingers. "Maybe a smarter man than me would agree with you. But… That's not who I am, I'm an old dog Panther. My friend's in danger and I have to help him. That's all there is to it, it's the right thing for me to do."

"But… Why?"

"I've known Leon longer than I knew my own father. I know how he thinks, how he works. If we leave him there they'll use that to try to get to him, whatever bastard that's interrogating him will tell him I abandoned him. That I don't care about him, use it as leverage to see if he'll give in and spill what he knows. They'll think something like that will break him but, I know that it won't." Wolf took a long drag on his cigarette, burning it down to the filter before pinching the lit end out and tossing it aside. "He's a psychopath, Panther. If he thinks I can't get to him then he'll try to get to me and he won't let anything stand in his way. He'll try to fight his way out and he'll die in the process. No, it's important that we get to him as soon as we can, no matter what the cost." Panther swallowed, carefully considering his next words before letting them out. There was only one explanation for him making a decision that endangered the integrity of his team this way.

"Forgive me captain but… Do you love him?" Wolf froze, turning to look at Panther, wide-eyed and dumbfounded.

"You wanna repeat that?"

"…Do you love Leon, captain?"

It all happened in a flash and the next thing Panther knew he was laid out on the ground next to Wolf's bed, a ringing in his ears as his muscles tensed up defensively. Wolf stood over him, shaking his fist out. Without any hesitation he'd connected a right-handed haymaker across his teammate's muzzle, rewarding him for his insulting question with an action equally as insulting. Wolf was a bit smaller than him both in mass and stature but his fist felt like it was made of solid iron. Panther rubbed his jaw and inhaled sharply through his teeth; it wasn't the first time he'd taken a hit from Wolf and he knew that it wouldn't be the last, but that was easily the strongest. Critically thinking about it he knew that he deserved it too, what else did he expect asking such a blunt question to a man like him?

"That the answer you were looking for?" Wolf asked as he offered his paw down to help Panther to his feet. The feline accepted, still wincing and rubbing his face as he stood.

"It feels like you've gotten stronger."

"Hitting fools like you helps."

"…So, it's decided then. We trade McCloud to the Cornerians in exchange for Powalski." Panther asked solemnly, Wolf shook his head in response.

"No, no 'we'. There's no 'we' in this equation. You're right, this isn't a smart move and I understand that I'll be pissing off people I probably don't want to piss off during a time where they may not be acting very rationally. I can't honestly say that I know what's going to come as a result of that but I'm ready to bear it on my back as my own responsibility. I won't get you or anybody else around me killed due to my actions, so… I'm dismissing you."

"…What?" The pain in his face and ringing in his ears seemed to immediately subside as Panther heard his captain's words. They shocked him but he wasn't sure he knew exactly what they meant. "What do you mean?"

"You're not involved with this anymore Panther, any of this. I'll pay you out with half of Star Wolf's money and then you'll leave. You're a good man and if I go down because of this mess, I'm not taking you with me."

"That… Wasn't our agreement." Panther pushed back, grabbing Wolf by the arm. "No, no when I joined your team I pledged my life to you and your cause."

"Well I'm giving it back to you."

"I don't WANT it back Wolf, I want to HELP you. I plan on serving you and your team until the bitter end and I'm committed to that."

"That's too bad. I'm the leader of this team and I'm discharging you. I can't in good conscious get you killed for my own greedy decisions, a soldier like you deserves better than that. You've done enough for me Panther, you've got a life to live." Panther responded by lowering himself to the ground, kneeling in front of his captain to demonstrate his devotion.

"Please don't do this to me, Wolf."

"I'm not doing it TO you I'm doing it FOR you. I'll face my demons and pay for my mistakes on my own. From now on this is a command. I command you to leave."

"I-... Wolf…"

"The next words out of that maw of yours better be 'I understand'." Panther was quiet for a moment as he breathed and reflected, his ears folded against his head as his tail lay still.

"...I understand." The feline muttered through his teeth, staring at the floor. "I will obey your command."


	11. Chapter 11

Wolf and Panther's meeting adjourned and they proceeded to part ways for the remainder of their respective evenings to both reflect on what just happened. Panther returned to his room to prepare for his immediate departure while Wolf went about coping in his own way; coping by sitting his fuzzy grey ass down in a barstool and committing to his vices. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was reminded that they had a captive who may need tending to but ultimately he didn't care.

"Heh… How do I even end up in these messes?" Wolf to himself out loud, examining the cherry of his cigarette and how the smoke burned off of it. He always wanted to learn how to blow smoke rings but never found himself with enough time. In his other paw he held a shot glass full to the brim with whiskey, the bottle it originated from resting on the table in front of him. The fancy label gave away the fact that the bottle was an expensive one, a brand that he was saving for a rainy day. Well, nothing he'd encountered to this point was as rainy as tonight was.

The canine was the owner of many expensive kinds of liquor. Mostly rums, whiskeys and bourbons. Stuff with a good flavor that he could drink straight, like a man. Most of the bottles on the higher end of the price spectrum in his possession were things he'd stolen from opposing ships during raids. Short-lived criminals prized themselves on flash material wealth, what greater irony than to steal it from them?

"What the fuck happened to my crew?" Wolf asked himself before deciding to shoot it. He took a deep breath before tossing the shot glass back, taking all of it into his muzzle and swishing it around for a moment before swallowing. He used an (admittedly) manicured claw to dig the cork out of the bottle it came from, wasting no time in preparing another shot. The amount he'd already drank tonight would put most non-alcoholics on the floor. "Andrew, Pigma, Leon, Panther… I let them all down." He sighed, tail drooped down below the barstool and laying stationary. "I hope those mutts are taking care of you, Leon…"

Wolf found himself stuck at the bar for many hours, sitting and reflecting instead of preparing like he knew he should. Life had just been so much easier not even a week ago, in fact the last few years as a whole were probably the most enjoyable of his life; just coasting on their fortune and working jobs that they wanted to, not ones they needed to. But he knew he had taken it all for granted, you can't work in this line of business and not expect somebody to come knocking at the door with more problems. He'd grown complacent in the face of vast wealth and social stature, something that had clearly come back to bite the whole team in the rear and could disrupt everything he'd worked so hard to build.

It was late in the night but eventually Panther emerged from his room to try and scavenge for a bit of food. He was mostly packed and ready to leave; the feline had been a transient most of his life and was used to the necessity of traveling lightly. On him he kept few items of sentiment, most of his space was occupied by clothing, weapons and toiletries (he had to keep his fur a very specific way for the ladies). As soon as he stepped foot into the common area however he was greeted with an unfamiliar sight- his former captain passed out drunk at the ship's bar. Wolf was a large dog who could hold his liquor very well so seeing him blacked out like this was quite rare, if not unheard of. Having been together for the last few years he'd only ever seen it happen one or two other times, both during their drinking competitions that Panther almost always lost.

Hunched over the countertop and drooling in his own arm, it was quite honestly the most vulnerable that Panther had seen him. This was the bottom of the barrel for Wolf; he was wearing nothing but boxers and a black tank top with liquor spilled all over the place. It was clear that whatever was happening to him it was taking a serious toll on his psyche. The sight made Panther's ears flatten in pity; he dropped the bag he was carrying onto the ground and approached, trying to decide what he could do to help.

Settling on something a bit bold, the feline knelt down next to Wolf's barstool and scooped him up into his thick, ropey arms. One arm supported his upper back while the other held him from under his legs. He took it slowly, trying to avoid either waking him up or getting vomit on his clothes- it was impossible to tell which would come first at this point. It didn't seem to matter though, Wolf's head was lulled back and he was comatose levels of unresponsive. _"There you are, you heavy old mutt."_ Panther spoke, he grinned as he thought about how hard Wolf would kick his ass if he knew what was happening, feeling his jaw still sore from the punch earlier.

Wolf had a bit of heft to him but it was nothing that Panther couldn't handle, what was tough to handle however was the permeating stench of booze that accompanied. Without a whole lot of difficulty he carried the alcoholic down the hallway back to his room, being careful to not hit his head on the doorway when walking through. With a bit of a grunt he lowered the captain back down, depositing him safely into his bed. Panther pulled the sheets up over his drunken friend and sighed, at this point it was unlikely that the dog would awaken by the time Panther had to depart. They were both absolutely terrible at goodbyes though, so maybe this way was best.

Looking him over now it was obvious how true to his species Wolf was. While he wasn't as bad as he lead people to believe he certainly had the key personality traits of a wolf; tough, stubborn, arrogant and vicious. A combination that meant he was unlikely to ever reconsider the choices he made today. Underneath those descriptors, however, anybody who spent enough time around him knew how passionate Wolf was about his team and those who were loyal to him. Everything that he did he did for the team. Supplied them with whatever they needed, helped any way he could and in cases like this, was willing to risk his life for them. Despite their minor squabbles Panther respected him more than any other man in the galaxy.

"…You won't be awake by the time I leave, Wolf." Soft words escaped the feline's lips as he lowered himself down to Wolf's bedside. "I suppose that means I must say this to you now. I understand that you only have my safety in mind, but know that as long as I live I won't let you roam this galaxy alone. The Black Rose and I aren't finished with you yet."

After he finished speaking the feline simply stayed at the bedside, naught but silently reflecting on what was to come in the future. There he stayed until the motion sensor automatically turned out the lights.

* * *

Wolf jolted awake, another one of his drunken nightmares causing him to toss the covers aside and gasp for air. His heart pounded in his chest but he was quickly brought back down to the reality of the situation, finding himself still on his ship and arguably safe for the time being. His vision was hazy and his head felt like it wanted to split in half, both feelings that he was intimately familiar with. Despite his spotty memory, however, he distinctly didn't recall ever returning to bed. It perplexed him until he spotted something new on his bedside table. A single red rose, pinned upright into the wood. Suddenly it all made sense.

"Panther you goddamn queer…"


	12. Chapter 12

After a few moments of reflection Wolf managed to rouse himself from his bed, the hangover he most assuredly deserved felt like it were draped over him like a damp blanket. This wasn't something he was unfamiliar with, these days hangovers were little more than a visit from an old friend to him. During the night's tossing and turning his eyepatch had fallen askew, exposing his scarred and damaged socket to the open air. After feeling the sting on his exposed nerve endings he had to take a moment to cover it.

As the captain planted his paws on the cold floor the rose that rested on his nightstand caught his attention for the second time, he couldn't resist at least giving it a smell. The scent was particularly reminiscent of Panther, his lingering cologne was unmistakable. Rolling the flower over in his palm it was clear how well his feline friend played the role of the eccentric villain- the thorns hadn't been shaved off and a small pin was affixed to the end of the stem with some tape, providing a counter-balance for throwing purposes.

Wolf bounced the rose up and down in his palm a few times to get a good idea of its weight. He'd seen Panther do it a hundred times, figured it couldn't be that hard- right? Doing his best to emulate the exact motion that Panther used he attempted to toss it across the room, flinging his arm wide and releasing his grasp with the best timing he could muster. As predicted the flower simply tumbled and fell limp not even halfway to its destination; apparently rose-throwing is a learned practice. Wolf sighed, picking it up off the floor and placing it back on the table before proceeding to get himself dressed.

The morning progressed slowly; Wolf took his sweet time with a shower, some coffee and a light workout- doing everything in his arsenal to shake the haziness from his head. After getting all the whining and moping out of his system the night before he felt readier than ever confront what awaited, trying to stay focused on the only thing that mattered; getting Leon back into his arms. The morning's next roadblock came into view as Wolf found himself standing in front of the stove, eye wide and staring at the appliance like a deer in headlights, as if making breakfast were the most foreign concept in the world. He hadn't really considered it but after Panther came into the picture he didn't really do much cooking at all. In fact, his skills in the subject appeared to have deteriorated quite a bit. He tried to scrap together some food that required little effort but his omelet was beginning to look more scrambled than anything else. Regardless, food was food and he plated the crumbly eggs alongside some other easy to produce sides. As always the canine dished out a little bit more for himself and a little bit less for Leon. Wait- that's not right. Goddamnit. Wolf exhaled frustratedly and tossed the empty pan over at the stove, clutching his face in his paws and glaring at the second plate that he'd made without thinking. Well, it was there. He had to do something with it.

 _*knock knock knock*_

"Rise and shine, sweetcheeks." A gruff voice commanded. Without further warning the door to Fox's closet shot open revealing Wolf standing in the entrance, he was carrying a couple of plates and glass bottles. "Have a nice little nap?" The grey muzzle asked as he reached in to flick the light on. The sudden brightness made Fox wince, he looked like a cornered little wild animal.

"Come to antagonize me some more?" Fox talked a big game but he could barely think straight, his head was pounding in pain and his arm had kept him up all night.

"I'm here to feed you, you little ingrate." Wolf sneered as he sat himself down, shoving the extra plate into Fox's lap. "I don't want any of that back so I expect you to eat it."

Fox looked down at the food that he was given, while rudimentary the smell still made his mouth water in anticipation. Eggs, sausage, toast… He hadn't eaten over the last 24 hours and to his nutrient-starved body even something basic like this looked like the best food in the world.

"T-this is for me?" His voice waivered in uncertainty. He wasn't sure if this was just a cruel joke or not.

"What the fuck does it look like? Yes it's for you, we're going on a little flight today and I need you to not faint halfway through. Now eat."

There wasn't much space in the cramped closet so Wolf had to sit on the floor directly next to Fox, his back resting against the same shelf with his legs kicked out in front of him. This was the closest Fox had ever been to the man responsible for killing his father and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. That said, he had to admit that Wolf was fairly well groomed and smelled nicer than he expected a criminal like him to, he was also a lot larger than his pictures made him out to be. Easily as tall as Falco if not taller. Fox's train of thought was suddenly derailed as a fork clattered down onto his plate. "If you stab me with that I'll make you regret it." Wolf challenged, by this point his captive knew that he wasn't bluffing.

Fox wasted no time in digging in, he didn't even really need the fork but figured he should use what he was given. He immediately went straight for the protein, spearing the sausage off of the plate and taking a larger-than-necessary bite out of it. He had to eat primarily with his left hand, at this point the other one hurt too much to move on its own and had to be limply dragged around by the chain links of the handcuffs. Wolf passively watched the boy eat for a few moments before picking up one of the glass bottles he'd brought along, figuring he could at least give a little show of character. After all, Wolf wasn't _all_ bad. Just mostly. "Say, you like tricks?"

"…Tricks?" Fox replied through a mouthful of food.

"Yeah, fucking tricks. I'm sure you've heard of them. Like a talent? Something cool? Does Team Star Fox like fun things or are you all as boring and serious as you act?"

"I-I like tricks Wolf…" He spoke uncertainly.

"Yeah? Well then check this out." The grizzled dog bared his teeth and wedged the still-fastened bottle cap between two of his molars. With one quick movement he twisted his hand and the cap bent off, sending a few drops of beer sloshing over the brim and some foam dripping down the neck. He spat the cap across the room and looked at Fox with an expectant grin. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"I- uhh… Yeah. That was cool." Fox replied hesitantly, he wasn't entirely sure what Wolf was trying to do nor what he wanted from him.

"Oh whatever, don't patronize me." Wolf huffed, handing the bottle off to his captive. "Drink up, maybe it'll make you into a man." Fox swallowed the nervous lump in his throat as he looked at what he was given. It was a bottle of name-brand beer brewed on MacBeth, a planet famous for making really gruff, dark drinks for working men. The smell alone was enough to make his nose shrivel up; strong and musky, the exact opposite of what his dehydrated body needed. Regardless, he didn't dare reject the little bit of hospitality he'd received.

"…Thank you." The boy muttered, Wolf didn't think twice about it. He'd already popped the cap off of his own bottle with his claw and was about two swigs deep. The next few moments passed in silence as the two calmly ate their breakfast next to each other, when he really considered it Fox felt that it was almost kind of nice, considering the circumstances. This was going to be closest he would likely ever get to quite literally breaking bread with a sworn enemy.

"…Wolf?" Fox's nervous voice penetrated the silence, emerald-green eyes fixed down on his plate.

"What? You got something to say to me?"

"I guess, while we're here I figured I might just get something off my chest." He inhaled a deep breath, catching his nerve before continuing. "I know that whatever you've got against me- it's irreversible. And I know I don't know too much about you, but deep inside I can tell you're not as bad as you pretend to be. A part of me feels like we just ended up on the wrong sides, opposite from each other."

Wolf was, admittedly, a bit shocked by Fox's words but he was careful not to make that apparent, he had a reputation to maintain and was too heavily conditioned to let something like that slip. Instead he chose to stand up off the ground with his empty plate and bottle in-hand, bushy unkempt tail flicking this way and that in a display of aggravation.

"You don't want me to show you _how bad I can pretend to be_. Stop talking and finish your food."

"Wolf I know that you were on Fichina to try to save your friend. You stayed out of this war up until Andrew was captured, none of us had seen you for years- and suddenly this?"

"The reason I went to Fichina is something you couldn't comprehend." The canine barked out, he turned and looked at Fox out of the corner of his sharp purple eye. "Some of us aren't so two-dimensional."

"Well… Either way… I just wanted to tell you that regardless of what happens between us I still respect you as a leader. I think we're similar in more ways than are apparent." That last sentence apparently struck a nerve with Fox's captor.

"Just keep talking and see what happens to you, you degenerate rat." Wolf snapped back, his long finger-claw tapped audibly against his holstered blaster's frame. But it was too late now. Fox had already said what he wanted to say. Instead of piping up again he put his head down and proceeded to finish his food without another peep.

After their breakfast Wolf took Fox by the handcuffs and marched him back down to the communication's room where they'd be able to re-establish contact with General Pepper. The conversation went roughly as expected, Pepper seemed surprised at Star Wolf's quick cooperation but was willing to hold up his end of the bargain. The terms were laid bare and agreed upon, they were to meet face-to-face at uncontested coordinates on Fichina and trade Fox for Leon, an even one-for-one. Alongside that both parties were to remain completely unarmed with vehicle weapons powered down. Wolf pushed to meet Pepper alone but, being an old dog with lots of experience under his belt the general knew that such an arrangement would be too great of a risk on his personal safety. Before wrapping their discussion up the two agreed to meet later on that day, exactly what Wolf was hoping for. The gears had been placed in motion and Wolf felt a wave of relief wash over him. He was still uncertain about the whole exchange but this felt like a good sign.

"I don't think you know how lucky you are, Fox." Wolf said to his bargaining chip as the call was disconnected. "Any other circumstance with me and you'd be meat. But here you are. Bandaged, fed and ready to be hand delivered to your master. It's like we had a little sleep over isn't it? I even let you drink my beer." Fox just glared up at him through his eyebrows, the lightheartedness was not appreciated.

"My collarbone's broken, Wolf. I might even be concussed. I'm hurt..."

"Yeah? Well that's just what happens when you have a sleepover with a big dog like me."

The communication's screen returned to the normal user interface and Wolf noticed the number of missed contact. There were a lot of them. He ushered Fox out of the room so that he could review them and lo and behold every single one was an emergency hail from Sargasso. It seemed that Panther wasn't kidding about their desperation. _"Bunch of goddamn apes…"_ He muttered under his breath as he turned the system off again. He knew he had to come up with an answer for them soon but now wasn't really the best time, there were other things to attend to and getting Fox off of the ship was a top priority.

Before they left, Wolf made a point to dress himself in some of his more intimidating Star Wolf clothing, wanting to present himself in the strongest way possible. He donned his black leather jacket and matching pants, making sure to affix his steel-spiked kneepads and shoulderpads to accompany them. His belt buckle was emblazoned with a steel wolf head icon and showed prominently at his waist, giving him a powerful appearance. He fastened his hefty boots tight around his paws and mussed his scraggly mohawk up to make himself look gruffer. It worked.

"Hope you're ready to go, pup." Wolf yelled to Fox down the hallway, adjusting his holster's straps on his leg. He had to position it carefully to avoid cutting his clothing with his blaster's bayonet. Even though he'd have to go unarmed it was good to keep around just in case.

"I don't think I have a choice, do I?"

"Not at all." Wolf clarified. Once he was done grooming himself he re-accompanied Fox in the hallway. Wanting to waste no more time before their departure the canine grabbed the boy by his collar and pinned him back against the wall, getting close to his face to make sure his words were heard. "While we're on my ship, I don't want to hear a single _peep_ from you. You'll stay perfectly quiet like the cargo that you are. Is that understood?

"Y-yes. I understand." Fox replied, diligently nodding his head. Wolf was satisfied with his response, backing off and beckoning to be followed to the hangar.

The large doors to the spacedock opened up slowly with loud mechanical clanks as the two approached, they were thick and heavy to protect the rest of the mothership from depressurization in the event of any kind of sustained damage. Docked inside the garage were the last few ships that team Star Wolf had in their possession, three Wolfens and a two civilian vehicles that were tucked away on the side. Wolf sighed, the Black Rose was missing. The events of the afternoon had distracted him from Panther's departure and suddenly he was feeling the remorse trickling back in. Despite their occasional squabbles and differences Panther had proven to be the best teammate he'd ever had, not accounting for Leon. They were similar in so many ways and the strength of his loyalty was paralleled only by the strength of their chemistry. That said, Wolf didn't regret his decision, he didn't have enough time to. He knew he could be walking right into a trap and didn't want to be responsible for the death of anybody except for himself. After this, team Star Wolf may very well be drawn to its conclusion.

Fox followed his captor across the catwalk and over to the Wolfen they'd be taking. Wolf's ship had some small modifications to it that made it stand out from the others. A deeper crimson color was painted over the hull and it had black markings speckled here and there- it was unclear if those there intentional or simply scorch marks left from the many fights it had seen. Without any warning Wolf turned around and grabbed Fox by the midsection, hoisting the smaller boy up over his shoulder with one arm. The added stress to the Cornerian captain's battered chest caused him to yelp out in pain.

"Calm down, pup!" Wolf barked, Fox's fluffy tail rubbed against his muzzle as it twitched back and forth. "You're fine." Without much effort the wolf used his free hand to climb up to his ship's cockpit, popping the seal open and dumping Fox in the same spot that he was in when he was brought here; handling him a bit gentler this time. "You're light as a goddamn feather McCloud. What, did James not feed you your broccoli growing up?" Wolf chuckled at his own comment as Fox chose not to respond, knowing that anything he could say would cause more harm than good.

Before Wolf lowered himself down into the pilot's seat he noticed a small piece of paper resting on the dashboard; it was folded into a simple origami flower with some kind of text clearly scribbled on the inside. Wolf immediately knew what this was; he bent down and picked it up, carefully unfolding it in his palm.

 **"WHEREVER YOU GO, IN THIS GALAXY OR THE NEXT, KNOW THAT YOU'LL ALWAYS HAVE A GUARDIAN KEEPING YOU SAFE.** **ONLY DEATH IS FIT TO BREAK THE BOND I SHARE WITH CAPTAIN O'DONNELL."**

Wolf stared at the paper he held in his paws, some emotions began to seep through his cold, hard carapace but he did his best to keep them back. Panther was certainly a man who didn't know when to back down, that was for certain. " _Stubborn, prideful cats."_ Wolf thought to himself, knowing that those same words could easily be applied to him in turn. He folded the note into a small, less delicate square and tucked it away in his pocket, climbing down to take his seat in the cockpit.

"Get real comfy back there McCloud. It'll be a hell of a long flight for you."


	13. Chapter 13

"Hey," a distant voice shouted out. It was gruff and commanded attention, but the world was too dizzy to focus in on it. "HEY." The voice repeated, more sternly this time. It didn't rouse much of a reaction either. "WAKE UP." Third time's the charm. A bucket of ice water was sloshed all over, immediately shocking Leon into attention. The battered chameleon jolted upright in his chair, causing it to rattle against the floor. "You're not dead yet, snake."

As the ice water chilled his already cold blood he came back to reality, it seemed that he had somehow fallen asleep again. Leon was quickly reminded of his captivity as he found himself in the same concrete room that he had been in for what already felt like an eternity; hands cuffed behind his back and seated in a wooden chair. In front of him was a polished oak table with two in-uniform mutts standing on the other side, one of them dropped the water bucket to the floor. He was snickering a bit at the chameleon's reaction.

"Rise 'n' shine, sweetcheeks." The shorter of the two mocked, Leon glared at him and flicked his tongue angrily. "Hope you hadda nice little nap cause nothin' else you get from us will be nice."

The Cornerians had been holding Leon for a little over 24 hours at this point and while they were hospitable enough to remove the bullets from his body and suture up his wounds, keeping him alive was about the extent of what they were willing to provide. It didn't help that they seemed to only have a rudimentary understanding of reptile anatomy. While he was fairly hardy for his size and knew how to take a punishment, Leon was finding it harder to stay awake and focused when they were failing to provide any kind of warmth. His blood was quite a few degrees colder than he normally allowed, he could tell from how much his body was quivering.

"You ready to start talking?"

"...When my Boss gets here, you'll regret having treated me this way." Leon said. He pulled at his handcuffs for a moment, re-measuring their length behind his back. The Cornerians had left him too much slack, their ignorance clearly showing that they had no idea how flexible a chameleon could be.

"You talk a big game for someone in the jaws of the beast." The taller mutt responded, he was pacing around the table over to Leon, looking confident. He had a more decorated uniform and appeared to be of higher rank than the lackey that accompanied. With a quick look over Leon noted that they were both unarmed, carrying only knives strapped to their waists. "Some interesting news about your Boss." Leon jerked his head, looking the dog right in the eyes. "Pepper just got off the line with him. He wanted to cut a deal for Andrew, not you." Was that a lie? It had to be, the Boss wouldn't leave him, that wasn't his modus operandi. "It sounds like you're not going to be getting the 'Get Out of Jail Free' card you were hoping for."

"Just wait and see, mutt."

"See nothin', you ain't goin' nowhere." the shorter dog followed up from across the table, "Wolf isn't coming for ya, period. He only wanted to trade for the monkey, which Pepper so generously agreed to. You're out of the picture, buddy." The canine grinned devilishly. No, no that couldn't be the case. Leon gritted his sharp little teeth. Wolf was coming for him for sure, the dogs couldn't be trusted.

"Like all Cornerian dogs, you lie."

"I'd watch your tongue around us, punk." The larger dog bent over, pushing his head intimidatingly close into Leon's face. "Things aren't looking too great for you, I'd recommend staying on whatever good side we have left." His rancid breath smelled of whiskey

"Is that so?" Leon asked, they didn't know how close he and the Boss truly were. He was fully aware that Wolf would never leave him behind. "What do you hope to get out of me then?"

"You're lucky that you have information, because if you didn't you'd be in a much different place."

"Information? Is that all?" Leon played along, "Fine, if you promise to let me go I'll answer anything you want."

"You really think we'd let you go?" The soldier spoke directly into his face before leaning back with a chuckle. "You can be assured that that won't be happening. But… Maybe you and I can cut a little deal. You're an interplanetary terrorist, Powalski. You should understand how fortunate you are to even be presented with a deal. But given who you're friends with..." Leon's focus started to drift off of his words, he stared down at the ground and brainstormed his next course of action while the Cornerian was distracted with talking. He was clearly easily enamored by his own voice. The Boss was coming for him, but it was unlikely that it would be as obvious as a simple trade. He didn't even know what Wolf could offer that would be valuable enough to trade for him. Maybe they were being truthful about some kind of exchange, however, and he was going to use Oikonny's men to attack the base and retrieve him afterwards? No… It would be a bloodbath for those undisciplined apes. Wolf was smart enough to know that. But if he could sneak out of the base himself, steal a communicator and get in touch with Wolf… Yes, that would easily be the best way out of this mess. The dogs are simple and weak, he'd killed dozens of Cornerians in his life, what was a few more?

"You even listening to me? Do I need to get more ice?" The mutt commander spoke up, interrupting his train of thought.

"...I'm listening." Leon replied, his body temperature was close to reaching dangerous levels and he knew that any more ice could cause him to start losing consciousness entirely.

"Then look me in the eyes when I'm talking to you." the dog in charge commanded. Leon hesitated, he didn't like being commanded around by anyone except his teammates, not even in bed. "I said LOOK AT ME." The dog aggressively grabbed his face, that's when Leon snapped.

In a quick motion the flexible reptile bent his arms up around past the back of the chair and over his head, a motion that wouldn't be possible for most mammals. Hands in front of him, Leon lept out of the chair and pushed the chain connecting the cuffs into the larger dog's throat, wrapping his fists around the back of his neck and mustering up all of his remaining strength to attempt to choke him out. The victim wasn't sure how to respond, momentarily stunned by the unexpected attack.

"Hey, HEY!" the smaller dog shouted, he drew his knife off of his belt and scrambled over. Falling directly into Leon's plan.

Before he was intervened Leon pushed the mutt by the neck backwards over the table and lunged for the other one. The smaller soldier made a deft attempt to defend himself with his weapon but clearly wasn't as conditioned in hand-to-hand combat as his opponent. In a quick motion Leon caught the knife in his cuff's chain links, wrapping them around the blade and twisting the soldier's hands in a painful way to make him weaken his grip. Leon followed it up with a heavy shoulder check, using all of his limited body weight to force the dog backwards, making him release his weapon into the chameleon's palms.

Now-reunited with an old friend, Leon knew that he wasn't in peak physical condition for this kind of fight and had to press every dirty angle he could.

In all of the chaos the dog on the table had regained his senses, pulling himself up off his back and onto his feet again. Quickly assessing the threats, Leon dashed close and lashed out at him wielding the knife with both hands- scoring a large gash across his upper chest. With all of the adrenalin that had begun pumping, however, it hardly slowed the larger canine down. Stumbling a bit, he drew his own knife off of his belt and immediately swung out in a desperate slash. Despite his mental state, Leon was still fast enough to recognize this and dodge backwards out of the way- unexpectedly bumping into the smaller one who had caught up behind him. The dog took no hesitation in restraining the wild reptile, wrapping his forearms under Leon's armpits and across his ribcage.

"You PUNK!" he yelled through gritted muzzle as Leon squirmed in his grasp, "You don't know when to give up, do ya?!" That was an understatement. The chameleon didn't even know the definition of the phrase. He turned his head and firmly chomped down into the dog's left flexor. His little teeth were sharp and designed to crunch insects, more than suitable for causing pain in an emergency. The arm was retracted with a loud yelp, releasing Leon from the hold just in time for him to get out of the way of another wide, sweeping attack from the larger mutt. This time, Leon was able to dodge low and to the side, allowing him to quickly follow up with an up-close forward lunge. He made a firm connection. The military knife sunk deep into the canine's uniform, entire blade disappearing into his gut.

The dog in charge shouted in pain and stumbled sideways into the concrete wall. He clutched at the hilt that was protruding from his gut and slumped over, whimpering incessantly like a little pup. No amount of adrenaline would help you ignore something like that. Satisfied with his work, Leon turned to face his other opponent, who stared back at him wide-eyed and terrified, clutching his arm.

"W-we should'a killed you while we had the chance." The scared dog muttered. He knew that he was firmly outmatched, even with Leon in handcuffs. "Y-y-you're a monster!" The chameleon grinned, those were the kinds of words he liked to hear. He opened his mouth to respond, to rub it in before finishing everything off... But nothing came out, something was wrong.

Suddenly, the heavy adrenaline started wearing off and Leon realized what he had done. The extra strain on his body after the recent injuries was too much, he had popped his stitches with the activity and re-opened his gunshots. Blood was pouring out of the reformed wounds, and it might have been for the entire fight. Leon was frozen in place, looking down at his body and clutching his hands over his injuries. He had never been this hurt before and didn't know what to do about it. The cowardly dog quickly recognized what was going on and made no hesitation in trying to escape. He dug around in his pocket for his keycard. It took a him a moment of fumbling in his shaky paws, but he finally pulled it out and swiped it on the door, running out and shouting that he needed help.

The desperate chameleon wanted to take advantage of the moment, he wanted to escape. But all of the wants and desires in the world wouldn't help him now. His body betrayed him, slumping over to his knees as his vision started to fade. His longing to be reunited with his Boss burned bright, but he lacked the ability to make it happen. All he could do now was submit and hope for the best.

* * *

"...I've failed you again, Boss."


	14. Chapter 14

"You still alive back there McCloud?" Wolf asked over his shoulder as the Wolfen slowed down, beginning to lower altitude as they approached the randevu point. He started to prepare the ship for the landing, the skis extending from their wells.

"...I'm here." Fox responded groggily, he had been crammed behind Wolf's chair for what felt like an eternity, but was more like around eight hours of space travel. He had come very close to upchucking the small amount of food he had eaten.

"...Guess I didn't fly fast enough." Wolf teased as he focused on the landing process. Off in the distance a few shadows presented themselves, marring the pristine snow. It looked like the Cornerians had gotten there first. The figures were huddled around what appeared to be a large cargo ship, smaller fighters parked next to it as escorts. Nobody was obviously standing out as Leon- Wolf guessed that he was still in one of the ships.

"What d'ya think the odds are that they're holding out on me, Fox?" He asked, trying to be nonchalant. "They're your boys, think they'll do a clean trade?"

"Just, do what you promised and they'll do the same. You're not dealing with criminals here."

"...Yeah, bet Andrew heard the same thing. Look what happened to him." The Lylat Wars had certainly changed the Cornerian's approaches to diplomacy.

The Wolfen continued its descent, coming to a near-stop and pressing its skis into the snow a safe distance from the others. Wolf took a deep breath and prayed to whatever higher power he didn't believe in that this would all resolve okay. The cockpit opened up with a loud 'hiss' as the pressurized air dissipated into Fichina's atmosphere. He took a quick headcount; One… Two… Three… There were at least seven soldiers out there, more than would normally be necessary for a one-for-one exchange. As uncertain as he was, Wolf knew that the best chance to get Leon back safely would be to just do what he agreed to. The grizzled dog reluctantly unholstered his blaster and opened up the pilot's compartment to stow it away.

As he angled it in, his paw brushed past something he forgot that he owned. A small weapon that was kept in the ship for emergency situations, his pocket-pistol. It didn't pack much of a punch, but was concealable enough to hide in a boot or a jacket pocket, something that could be used as an absolute last resort. Making a decision he hoped he wouldn't regret, Wolf grabbed it and stuffed it away deep in his right boot, feeling it imprint against his ankle.

"Alright, get up." Wolf commanded to Fox as he reached back over the seat. Fox wasted no time in obeying, eager to get out of the ship and even more eager to return to safety. He rose to his feet with Wolf supporting him from under his arm. Together, they jumped out of the cockpit and landed in the snow. Wolf stuck the landing but Fox tripped to his knee with a whimper, his chest wounds didn't respond well to sudden impact.

"Get up, get up. Everybody's watching." Wolf snarled under his breath, looking over towards the Cornerians. They had begun disbanding from their huddle, looking a bit more attentive and taking positions in front of the ships. Wolf couldn't spot any weapons, but his eyes weren't exactly what he was galaxy-renowned for. It took a moment but Fox gathered himself and stood up again, close to shin-deep in the snow.

"HEY FLEA BAGS," The grey wolf shouted over the icy winter winds as he approached, leading Fox by the arm. His animal fur-laced hood was pulled up and over his head and ears. "YOUR BOSS BETTER BE HERE OR I'M GUNNA BE PISSED."

A couple of them muttered to each other, then moved to the side. One knocked his hand on the transport ship to signal the bay door to drop. As it did, a bright florescent light spilled out over the evening tundra. Two figures stood in the entryway, one of them unmistakable in their silhouette. A lithe, slender body with a long curled tail distinctly standing out among the bulky canines. While Wolf couldn't see their face, his heart knew exactly who it was. It took a lot of effort to suppress his excitement on the spot, he had to keep playing tough. Without hesitation he began to trudge through the snow with more conviction, eager to get a closer look.

"O'DONNELL." A commanding voice shouted from the transport bay, it sliced through the overwhelming sounds of the winds like a knife through butter. "DO YOU MEET US HERE UNARMED?"

"...NOTHIN' ON ME." Wolf shouted back, patting himself down and holding his arms up to quickly demonstrate the fact. The dog-general nodded in understanding and began to lead his captive down the ramp and into the snow.

As the two canines approached each other, Wolf strained his eye trying to get a good sight of Leon. He hadn't seen him since they had parted for the mission days ago and his mind was abuzz with worry. The chameleon appeared to be dressed in his skintight black wool top and tights, no coat or anything else to protect his cold blood from the harsh elements. He was also hanging his head, walking no faster than a hobble with great difficulty as the general pulled him along. Wolf's heart rate started to escalate.

"What did you do to him?" Wolf blurted out as soon as they were close enough to speak without shouting. "Where's his coat?"

"He's alive." Pepper replied, artfully dodging the more pertinent question. "Your chameleon didn't make things easy for us, you're lucky that we're willing to relinquish him to you. He's been violent and uncooperative this entire time, even under captivity. Under normal circumstances we'd have put him down, but your legacy carries some degree of respect, O'Donnell. We have taken care of him and are now ready to pass him off to you in exchange for McCloud." Fox perked up, locking eyes with the General with a vibrant smile. It was the first one he'd had for the last few days. "I take it you've been very hospitable?"

"He's alive." Wolf hastily responded through clenched teeth, jerking Fox forwards and into focus. "Battered, bruised, but breathing. Give me Leon. Now."

"Quiet. Let him speak. Fox? Are you okay?"

"G-general!" Fox responded, he was shivering but it didn't stop his enthusiasm to see a friendly face again. "I-I'm fine, we're fine. It's all fine. I j-just want to go home." Pepper smiled in return.

"Good. I think everything's in order then. I'll count to three. When I say three let him walk over to me and I'll let Powalski walk over to you. Agreed?"

"Fine, just count." Wolf responded gruffly, just wanting to expedite the process. His paw fished around in his jacket pocket until he found his keyring. He pulled it out and grabbed Fox's cuffs for the last time, pulling him closer than would normally be appropriate.

"Fox." Wolf whispered into the captain's large fluffy ear as he fiddled with the key against the handcuffs, his muzzle was turned away so that Pepper couldn't see. "Understand that you're alive right now because of your 'master' here. Nothing you've said to me, nothing you say to me and nothing you could ever do would stop me from hating you. I will kill you, Fox." The metal cuffs unlatched and fell into the snow. His words sent a chill down the fox's spine, something that stood out even in the heavy cold. Despite that, the determined young pilot stood his ground, he wasn't going to let himself be intimidated now.

"...I hope you reconsider someday Wolf." Fox responded, rubbing his newly unrestrained wrists. "You're not a bad person, and I think in another life we could have been friends." Wolf responded with a sneer, pushing him away by the shoulder.

"C'mon old man, COUNT." He commanded, growing more and more impatient. The general happily obliged, having just finished removing the handcuffs from his own prisoner.

"One."

As the first number escaped Pepper's lips, Wolf looked around the area one final time to scan for a possible ambush… Nothing in particular stood out.

"Two."

On the second count, Wolf's gaze was reunited with his teammate. Leon was almost completely still, limply hanging off of Pepper's shoulders and unable to support his head… Was he starting to go through hypothermia?

"Three."

Inhaling sharply and unsure of what was going to happen next, Wolf gave Fox another push, slamming his palm commandingly against the square of the former captive's back. The fox stumbled forwards, then regained himself and started to walk. Pepper followed suit, releasing his grip on Leon's arm and giving him a pat on the shoulder. The chameleon was stationary for a moment but slowly started shuffling his feet step by step, understanding what he had to do. He looked absolutely miserable and didn't seem capable of moving faster than a snail's pace.

Time almost seemed to slow down, each second that Wolf watched his teammate… His friend… It felt like an eternity. This feeling was only exacerbated by the butterflies fluttering hard in his chest. He had to suppress the desire to run over and help, worried that if he did he would be considered out of line. At the same time, Fox was still very capable and was briskly making his way back over to the Cornerian side, passing up Leon roughly two-thirds of the way across.

Not even halfway home, Leon's progress was grinding to a halt. He slowed further and further as the stinging winds wore him down. Slowing to a near stop, he teetered in place for a moment before succumbing to the cold, slumping down over his knee. Wolf couldn't just watch any longer. "Leon?! LEON?!" He stopped holding back and rushed over in a panic, sensing the urgency. Struggling to hold himself upright, Leon finally collapsed to the side- falling straight into the strong, well-timed arms of his beloved Boss. Wolf wasted no time in taking care of him, frantically ripping off his large furred coat and bundling it around his freezing chameleon. It wasn't much, but it could help retain whatever body heat was left for another few minutes. He wanted to rejoice, scream in excitement that they were reunited. But the reality was something completely different. Pepper wanted Leon to die here, and he might just get his wish.

For the first time in many long years, the cracks in Wolf's tough-guy persona began to show. The walls he had built up around his emotions had been put to the test in recent events, but this final blow began the crumbling, something that had the power to change him for the rest of his life. Leon meant more to Wolf in this world than he had ever considered, something that he struggled to realize for a long time and still hated himself for allowing to happen. He always told himself he would never grow attached to anybody, that he could up and leave at any time and not feel regret. But that simply wasn't true anymore. He was here now, with the most important person in his life dying in his arms. Someone would have to pay.

"PEPPER WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Wolf bellowed at the top of his lungs; he hugged his teammate tight against his body, causing his claws to dig into the jacket material. The other two had already embraced and were making tracks back to their transport ship. "YOU LYING, DOUBLE-CROSSING MUTT. YOU PROMISED ME! YOU PROMISED HE WAS SAFE! YOU TOLD ME HE WAS OKAY!"

"A proud Cornerian makes no promises with terrorists, O'Donnell."

Punctuating his sentence, a bright red flash streaked out over the horizon. Illuminating the darkness for a split-second and penetrating the snowy wind with a loud bang. A sudden piercing impact to his upper chest caused Wolf to drop Leon from his tight grasp and stagger backwards. The general's intentions were clear now and he should have seen this coming from a mile away. There was no pain. Everything just felt numb.

* * *

"...Told ya' you'd pay for messin' with us, ya gullible chump." Close to a kilometer away, entrenched on the far side of a hill from the exchange and safely disengaged from any of the action, one could hear Falco snickering as he operated the cooling flush on his trusty long-rifle.

* * *

Wolf reeled from the shot, a big thug like him knew how to take a hit without going down but a long-rifle was testing the limits. His sharp canine teeth bared in a deep feral growl as he stumbled and did his best to recompose himself. He was bleeding profusely, but it only served to cause the adrenaline to pump faster through his body, quickly intoxicating his mind. In one fluid motion Wolf gathered his remaining strength, reaching into his boot to grab the emergency pistol then whipping around and wildly pulling the trigger in Pepper's direction. If he was going down here, he was taking the filthy dog with him.

Copious laser blasts illuminated the landscape as he stood his ground and squeezed off as many rounds as he could. Pepper was caught off-guard, not expecting any kind of immediate retaliation. Most of the shots missed, but one landed square on his leg and another in his hip, causing the less-hardened general to grunt and fall into the snow.

There was so much more Wolf wanted to do, he wanted to storm over and finish Pepper off. He wanted to kill the rest of the dogs who had all begun to panic and ran back to grab their weapons. He wanted to kill Fox. He wanted to kill them all. He wanted these things, but in his state it just wasn't meant to be. The adrenaline quickly bled through his body from his chest wound and the wolf collapsed forwards, side-by-side with Leon in the snow, stubby barrel of his pistol steaming. As the reality of his fate came crashing down on him, their eyes finally met. Wolf's deep purple eye locked with Leon's gorgeous yellow irises, the two looked at each other in a moment of mutual understanding. And in that moment, all of this was okay.

" _Leon…"_ Wolf couldn't tell if he was speaking out loud or just thinking in his mind. _"...I love you."_ The way that Leon was looking at him… He could tell that he already knew.

The world began to fade to black as the curtain closed on Wolf's consciousness. But not before he heard one last thing transmit through his communicator.

"With the way that trouble follows you, I knew you would need my help. I just didn't think it would be so soon. Fortune smiles upon you this evening, Wolf. As the Black Rose is still in your service."


	15. Chapter 15

Leaving the base that Panther had been calling his home wasn't easy, but with Wolf discharging him so suddenly he didn't have the time to reminisce. While the boss slept he was careful to depart with only what he needed to get by. Some clothing, weapons and a few other assorted items were packed into a large bag and thrown aboard the Black Rose, his customized Wolfen. Being the sentimental feline that he was, however, he made certain to leave Wolf one final message- scrawled on a piece of folded paper and placed somewhere it would be noticed. In this note, Panther promised something quite serious, something that he fully understood the implications of. The black cat knew that despite being excommunicated, he had still pledged his allegiance to O'Donnell and fully intended on serving him, whether Wolf liked it or not.

 **"With the way that trouble follows you, I knew you would need my help. I just didn't think it would be so soon."**

Panther was well aware of the severity of what Wolf was getting himself involved in and knew that he was unlikely to make it out of the other side unscathed. He wanted to talk him out of it, try and reason with him to consider another approach- but once Wolf had made up his mind he was not easy to derail. The dog wanted to save Leon and was going to take whatever risks necessary to do so… Even if it meant paying with his own life. This was one of the reasons Panther had looked up to Wolf since the first day he had heard of his escapades. Wolf's unyielding loyalty and dedication to those who showed him the same was something unheard of for a man who carries his level of infamy. The bond he was capable of forming with his teammates was so strong that it would take more than being cast away to get Panther to abandon him. After all, he knew his captain wouldn't hesitate to return the favor if the tables were turned.

 **"Fortune smiles upon you this evening, Wolf."**

And that it did. Panther followed his orders that night but he had no intentions of staying away. He knew that Wolf needed backup, even if his pride didn't allow him to admit it. Panther wanted to help, he wanted to be there during the time of need. So he made it happen. The Black Rose was still authorized and connected to Wolf's private comms channel. Eavesdropping was for cowards, but when it came to saving his boss' life… Panther spent the entire following day tuned in, carefully listening for any word on where the exchange was to happen, intent on beating both parties there.

 **"...As the Black Rose is still in your service."**

A deep, grumbling purr emanated from Panther's throat as he finished his announcement, filling the noise-dampened cockpit with the soothing sound of his bloodlust. He had watched Wolf fall and now it was his time to act. The cat's claw flicked a switch on the dash and the Black Rose sprung to life. The external lights lit up the night sky in their intimidating crimson, serving as a warning to those who dared cross Star Wolf. Snow cracked and melted under the engines as they ignited, lifting the Wolfen out from its partial concealment in a nearby mound. Slowly, the four pointed wings flexed outwards, targeting the blaster cannons front and center.

Panther quietly monitored his breathing, doing his best to stay calm and collected as he piloted his ship vertically into the air. It raised to a high enough vantage point to oversee the whole field before coming to a halt. There it hovered motionless, a commanding red omen hanging ominously in the sky. Down below the Cornerians had scrambled, some of the had begun running for their ships while others moved to get their General out of the line of fire. For most of them, it was too late. Panther licked his lips predatorily as his thumb found its way over the 'fire' button on his flight yoke.

"Can you dance, mutts?"

Panther didn't intend on killing them all, more acting with the intention of causing chaos and disruption. That said, he housed no mercy for filthy double-crossing dogs. The button was depressed into its well and the world sparked into action. High powered, explosively charged ion blasts began to pelt the area underneath, raining down on the surprised Cornerians like fire and brimstone. All four of the Wolfen's cannons ruthlessly discharged one after the other, tracking around the area and blowing huge geysers of snow into the air. Men were tossed asunder as they sought nonexistent cover in the barren tundra. Screams and shouts drowned out by the continuous fire as Panther purred in a deep, satisfied rumble.

When he was confident that his message was received, the enemy ships were the next targets in Panther's onslaught. He knew that if he didn't take them out he ran the risk of having them piloted against him during his escape. Being deactivated with their shields down made them easy targets to disable, the Wolfen's shots refocused across the snow and began to bombard the Cornerian fighters relentlessly. It didn't take long for one to give in, a lucky shot to the volatile fuel reserve causing it to detonate in a massive fiery explosion. Huge chunks of burning steel were sent careening through the sky, causing the surrounding area and ships to be peppered with shrapnel. A sadistic little smirk broke out in the corner of Panther's muzzle as he watched, the catharsis almost too much for him to handle.

He wanted to stay up there forever, so caught up in the excitement that he almost forgot that time was of the essence. Regardless of how good it felt, Panther knew that he didn't come all this way just to stage an attack. He was here to perform a rescue, a rescue that couldn't wait any longer. For the time being, the Cornerians were shellshocked, disorganized and outgunned- exactly where he wanted them to be. This gave Panther a small window of time where he could risk landing on the surface and dismounting.

With haste, the large black feline worked the throttle to thrust his agile ship forwards- temporarily removing his finger from the fire button so he could focus on positioning instead. He had a few moments to take advantage of the shock and he fully intended on using it as best he could. Panther maneuvered his ship lower and lower, descending down upon the battlefield until his landing skis crunched into the snow- touching down as close to his fallen captain as he could. As soon as the ship was stationary Panther yanked on the emergency release for the canopy and the cockpit flung wide open, exposing him to the freezing tundra air as well as the distant screams and disorganized shouts from the Cornerians. In one deft moment the large cat grabbed his assault rifle off the floor, unbuckled and lept out of his seat- feline instinct helping him land on the uneven ground with ease.

"WOLF! LEON!" Panther shouted as he quickly trudged through the snow towards where his teammates lay, toting his assault rifle in his right paw. He approached them and kneeled down in between, looking them over and trying to gauge how he was going to carry two grown men single handedly. Regardless, he knew he had to try. It was a sad sight. Worse than he thought, Panther saw Wolf take a shot but didn't realize how big of a wound it left him with. Leon, on the other hand, was completely immobile, the bright green color fading quickly from his skin- he looked like he was pretty deep in the stages of hypothermia. It wouldn't be much longer before he was gone.

"You two don't get to leave just yet." Panther muttered to himself as he surveyed the area, "I'll drag you out of hell if it's the last thing I do."

A bullet whizzed past the cat's temple, missing by no more than a foot and causing him to jump in surprise. The Cornerians were regrouping, his window of opportunity starting to close as a few distant pot-shots rang out. This realization kicked Panther back into gear. He stopped debilitating and just acted. Without thinking twice he grabbed Leon and slung him over both of his shoulders, arms over the right and legs over the left with the chameleon's torso behind his head. Wolf, he was too afraid to jostle due to the bleeding. Instead he grabbed him by the back of his jacket with his free hand, figuring that the only way he was going to get him back to the Wolfen would be to drag him. The dog wouldn't normally appreciate being handled this way but given the circumstances…

Another bullet shot by and made Panther flinch. He was running out of time and he knew it. Having retrieved what he was here for the feline quickly turned and started to make tracks back to his ship. He was extremely strong and well built, but being burdened with the mass of two unconscious men was enough to slow even somebody of his stature down. He hobbled along with Leon around his shoulders and the captain dragging behind him, hunched over and trying to move as fast as possible. More of the enemies had gathered themselves, a small handful already picking up their weapons and opening fire on him. Fortunately, the distance mixed with their surprise meant that they were having a hard time connecting their shots. A few pinged off of the Wolfen's armor, the ship serving as the sole provider of cover between the two sides.

"COME GET ME YOU FILTHY ANIMALS." Panther shouted at the top of his lungs. He raised his assault rifle up against his hip and returned fire as best he could. Spraying a hose of bullets in their general direction; it was sloppy, but it sent a message. The cat bared his teeth and bellowed out a feral roar, straining every muscle in his body as he tried to handle both the weight of his friends and the recoil from the firearm.

The adrenaline flowing through Panther's veins made every second stretch into what felt like an hour. Part of his training was learning how to manage his adrenaline; stay cool, calm and collected no matter what situation he was thrust into. But nobody could be prepared for an exfiltration like this. As soon as he found himself within a couple feet of his beloved Black Rose, the jungle cat expertly flung his weapon through the air and landed it in the open cockpit. Boarding his friends wouldn't be quite as easy.

Hugging up against the Wolfen's armor for cover, Panther decided to handle Leon first and then Wolf after, since his injury would require extra gentle care. He dropped Leon's unconscious body backwards off of his shoulders and let go of Wolf, taking just one moment to recompose himself and remember to breathe. _"You're almost home free…"_ he thought to himself, trying to mentally drown out the distant sounds of gunfire and shouting. _"Just get them on board, that's all you need to do…"_

Panther grunted as he bent down and grabbed Leon around the waist, slinging him single-handedly over one of his sore biceps. Using his free hand he climbed up the side of the Wolfen, placing himself level with the open canopy. The agile cat quickly deposited the chameleon behind the pilot's seat before jumping back down to address Wolf. This would be a bit trickier, any sudden jolt or movement could cause the bleeding to become more severe.

* * *

"What a punk…" A familiar blue bird huffed angrily, his breath visible in the air. The sudden attack had forced Falco out of his position; he didn't take any direct fire but he knew that staying in his nest wasn't a good idea. There was nothing out here, no solid cover meant that if the Wolfen got a bead on him he was done for. Crawling on his chest and moving slowly, Falco had gradually made his way over to the far side of a neighboring ridge, rifle slung around his back.

The bird wasted no time in setting himself up again as soon as he had climbed to the crest of the hill, lying prone on the ground and nestling the rifle's bipod back into the snow. He took a moment to readjust the scope and then shouldered the stock, stuffing his sharp green eye back into the optics to see what he had missed. It would appear that it was his lucky day. During the time it took to reposition, the Wolfen had landed and the pilot had disembarked. Falco chuckled, some of his feathers ruffling up in excitement. It was a bit of a long shot and he wasn't able to clearly make out which Star Wolf member it was- but ballsy trick shots were his specialty.

"C'mon… Don't make this too easy on me."

* * *

*K-KRACK*

A loud shot rang out, the same shot that Panther had heard before Wolf fell to the floor. For that split second, he was convinced that he had died. The grave mistake of ignoring the sniper would be enough to end most men. But somebody must have been watching that day, some higher power that knew it wasn't Panther's time. Miraculously, the ion charged laser grazed right past the cat's face- taking with it no more than a few hairs and whiskers; leaving his life in tact.

Instead, the projectile connected with one of the sharp wings of the Wolfen. It connected with a loud explosion and blew off a chunk of armor, sending steel shards careening across the snow. "FUCK!" Panther yelled as he braced himself in surprise, taking the time to be gentle was no longer an option. Using the newfound energy from his near death experience, the large black cat quickly scooped up Wolf in both of his arms; legs draped over one side and upper back supported by the other. He jumped against the side of the ship and clambered up top using his boots. The second he had the angle to, he haphazardly tossed his captain into the cockpit. It was rough, but that could be made up for later. In one quick motion he dove in after him, slipping into the seat and shutting the canopy hatch at the same time. Sealing the team away from the outside world and back under the protection of Star Wolf property. Bullets ricocheted off the tempered glass, but it was reinforced enough to handle a few shots while the engines powered up.

Paws shaking, Panther fumbled around with the controls on the dash board. He wanted to say something witty, something sly and confident… Bark out something over his intercom to mock the Cornerians. But all he could do was laugh. Laugh a deep, hearty chuckle. Somehow, he got away with the impossible.


	16. Chapter 16

" _Well well, look who finally showed up."_

"..."

" _You know, it was bound to happen eventually."_

"..."

" _...You really think it's smart of you to show your face 'round here? After what you did?"_

"Show yourself before you speak to me like that, ingrate."

" _You haven't changed a bit you little piece of shit. Angry, temperamental… You're just like me. Why am I not surprised?"_ A voice spoke out and filled the hollow world around Wolf with sound. He didn't know where he was, nor how he got here. All he knew was that it was bright. Really bright. The world looked like it was made of nothing but light, blinding the canine as he tried to take in his surroundings. He winced and used his forearm to shield his eye.

" _Maybe somebody stronger than you would have made it out."_ The voice continued to nag.

"If you're going to call me weak you can do it to my face, coward."

" _Oh… You're in no place to call me a coward."_ The voice, the tone… It was all starting to add up. Wolf couldn't see, but suddenly it registered who was speaking to him. There was only one person who ever had the balls to get under his fur this way. Someone he hadn't spoken to in a long time.

"...You lecture a man you know nothing about, Father. You're as pitiful as you've ever been." Almost as if by command, the light began to wane. Little by little the dog's sharp red eye adjusted and the overwhelming bloom disappeared, world gradually trickling into focus. Wolf had to suppress a moment of astonishment as it registered where he was.

" _Pitiful, huh? Well it looks like we both got what was coming to us in the end anyways."_ Looking around the room it was easy to tell that it wasn't well cared for. There was dirty shag carpeting under the captain's toes, stained a yellowish brown from many years of neglect. Everything was hazy, dirty curtains hanging in the small unwashed windows… It all culminated in a musky smell that Wolf's sensitive nose had all but forgotten. He was back at home. And not his normal home; his childhood home. The house he grew up in with his parents, somewhere he thought he had left behind.

" _We're not as different as you think we are."_ A shadowy figure presented itself front and center, nothing more than a silhouette standing in the fully lit room. It had the outline of his father but none of the detail.

"I'm nothing like you."

" _Well, not exactly. After all I still got both my eyes."_ Crass as usual, he let out a hearty chuckle. _"You're under my roof again, pup. You don't get to talk back to me in MY household."_ Wolf growled through tightly clenched teeth, trying to contain his frustration. He took a step towards the unflinching visage and pointed with a sharp claw.

"I put an END to you under this roof and I'd do it again in a heartbeat if that's what it took to return to my team. I have unfinished business and I can't let vermin like you waste my time."

" _Return…? Wait- you don't actually think you died, do you?"_ The man chuckled again. Wolf stared quietly, unsure how to respond. He didn't really know what he thought anymore. _"Son, if you died the place you'd be right now would be much worse than here."_

"...You don't get to call me that."

" _Aww, truth hurt? You're my son, Wolf. You carry my name and my blood. In fact you're just like me where I was your age. Your temper, your patience, your violence… You and I are one in the same. It was obvious ever since you were a baby."_

"That's not true and you KNOW IT!" Wolf bursted out, his temperament was always a problem and his lack of control was beginning to show. Feeling backed into a corner, the fallen captain lashed out with his claws. He wasn't sure what he was attacking, but he wasn't going to stand still and take this kind of behavior. Not anymore.

To Wolf's surprise he found himself almost immediately apprehended; grabbed by the wrist mid-swing by a hand that was somehow much stronger than he. The physical sensation brought back a wave of vulnerability, it felt just like it did when he was a child. He struggled in his father's grasp, trying to prove how strong he was.

"There are people who depend on me- that's something you'll NEVER know the feeling of."

" _You say that but you know it's not true."_ The large figure let go of Wolf's wrist and pushed him backwards; causing him to stumble into a coffee table. _"Your time ain't up yet. But with the way you make enemies, you don't got much left. And when you do run out, I'll be waiting for you."_

"If you were stronger, maybe you'd be waiting for me somewhere other than the afterlife."

There was a pause at the end of Wolf's sentence during which the figure stayed stationary. For that moment, the canine had almost thought that it was over.

" _...Wolf?"_ His name was called out but the voice had somehow changed. It was sharper, almost like nails on a chalkboard. The dark outline began to grow, looming over the wide eyed canine as he stepped back. _"Wolf?!"_

"W-what?"

" _YOU CAN'T ESCAPE YOUR FATE FOREVER."_ Almost immediately the world around them started to deteriorate. The walls dragged down, as if they were melting into the floor. Pits in the carpet formed as everything dripped into a black rift that had formed below. Wolf scrambled to try and stay on the ground but he wasn't able to avoid it for long. Eventually he lost his footing and fell; fell deep into the endless void that awaited.

* * *

"Panther, follow me to the infirmary. Now."

"What- what is it?" The cat looked up from his book; something smutty that he'd reading to fill the time, not every minute could be filled with work.

"He's moving." Panther's eyebrow cocked curiously, up until now any kind of recovery had been in the air. Getting an accurate assessment of Wolf's physical state had proven to be a challenge since nobody on board was an actual doctor. Days, weeks, months, maybe even years. It was all on the table but... If the man was moving… He quickly dropped what he was reading and jumped out of his chair, rushing towards the hallway.

"H-hey! Hey! Don't forget about us you mangy tabby! We're comin' too!" A sharp voice squealed out from the back of the common area. Panther stopped in his tracks, a low growl beginning to permeate from under his breath. These were urgent matters, after all.

"Absolutely not, you lot can stay where you are. If anything happens, we'll tell you."

"Nu-uh! We've been waiting for DAYS, we got business with your boss and we're gunna be there when he wakes up, capiche?"

"You'll do no such thing. If he _is_ awake how do you think a man like Wolf will respond to being surrounded by a bunch of unexpected guests?"

"Whaddya mean? We'll be on our extra good behavior, just fer you." A few cackling voices snickered.

"You know you're taking a risk with Wolf O'Donnell, correct? Risks taken against him don't tend to end well for anybody involved."

"Hmph." The man huffed, Panther had a point. "...Aaalright fine. But no funny business! We'll be listening and we'll know if you're planning anything- remember that you ain't the one in control here! This is us bein' nice. Ya got it?!"

"..."

"GOT IT?"

"I understand."

"Good, now scram."

With the peanut gallery addressed Panther couldn't afford to waste any more time, if Wolf _had_ woken up then it would be imperative to speak with him as soon as possible. The large cat ran through their mothership until he reached the room they'd been using as makeshift hospice. He slammed his palm on the entry button to slide the door open and made absolutely sure that it locked behind him.

"They're not joining us, are they?" The second individual was already in the room, kneeling down close next to Wolf.

"No… Not yet at least." Panther answered.

"Good, it's probably better this way."

Panther crossed over to the captain's bedside as well, giving him a good look-over. The canine had certainly seen better days, seeing him in this reductive state was simply depressing. They'd done everything they could do to keep him clean and comfortable while also doing their best to not disturb the injury, but none of them were trained professionals. Wolf's fur was matted and disheveled, his eyepatch was long since removed and had been placed on the nightstand alongside whatever medical supplies they'd been able to scrounge up. There wasn't much to help with wounds this grievous on board, however. For things like this they had to go off site or invite a doctor in from Sargasso… But that'd be putting them at risk even more than they were now. Wolf's left pectoral muscle was strapped with freshly replaced medical tape and padded with gauze, two of the supplies they actually did have in abundance.

"You said he was moving." Panther spoke after a few moments. He took a washcloth from the nightstand and began to walk it over to Wolf's bathroom to wet it.

"He was moving, grumbling to himself too… I saw it. Boss is still in there."

"I see… Well, could you hear was he was saying? Was he trying to talk to us?" The feline ran it under some hot water for a few moments before carrying it back to Wolf. He removed the washcloth that was already on the man's head and replaced it with the new one, applying some gentle pressure.

"No… I-."

"Wait, hold on." The cat interrupted; Wolf's body seemed to react to the change in temperature. He'd begun exhaling quiet snarls with each breath, the corners of his jowls twitching up to show glimpses of his white fangs. "I think you're right, he's- he's here. In some way. Do you think we can wake him up?"

"...I don't know." The second individual answered, he seemed defeated. The last week had been especially rough on morale.

"Well we have to try _something_."

"See what happens when you shake him." He suggested, Panther shrugged. It wasn't exactly a creative suggestion but anything was worth a shot at this point. He placed his heavy paws on the captain's shoulders and jostled him about for a moment. To the feline's surprise his actions were heartily rewarded, the tip of Wolf's tail made a few flicks and the grumbling in his chest grew louder; an idea was formed.

"You need to speak with him." Panther said, "He's here, I can feel it. He's close, closer than he's been over the last few days. We just need another little push. If he hears you, Leon, then maybe it'll spark something."

The chameleon looked at his teammate for a moment with his arms crossed over his thin chest. He'd been speaking with Wolf quite a bit and never had any interesting results, but he supposed there was no harm in trying again. He gave the cat a curt nod.

"Sure." Leon responded from the other side of Wolf's bed. This whole situation had been very difficult for him, having spent so much time around his Boss he was well aware that this wasn't his first close encounter with death… But it certainly was the closest. Even their losses on Fichina and Venom during the Lylat Wars didn't injure him this bad. Back then they had actual Venomian doctors to care for them as well, this time all medical attention had to be done in-house. Sadness and guilt weren't emotions that often surfaced in the psychopath's body but they were all he could feel lately. So overwhelming that he'd spend every waking moment in this room praying for Wolf's recovery. Talking to him, stroking him, replacing his bandages… Leon knew this wouldn't have happened had he just stuck to his orders.

Despite Leon being a few years older than Wolf he'd stuck by his side as his right-hand man for what amounted to almost his entire quite lengthy criminal career. He planned on doing this until he day that he died not even considering that his Boss might be ended prematurely. That kind of thinking was blasphemous, he'd always been here and he'll always be here. Wolf was the strongest man in the galaxy, he was so skilled, ruthless and intelligent that there was no feasible way that he could be taken down. As admirable as that mindset was, however, Leon was fully aware that he had no plans in the event that something like this happened.

With everything said and done he owed all that he was to Wolf. The chameleon wasn't always the kind of criminal he was today; Wolf had shaped him, sculpted him and because of this he would belong to the man for the rest of his life. Many years ago when he was much, much younger the reptile's aspirations would begin and end in the streets. Just another ne'er do well hidden amongst the sea of others, abandoned by his family and doomed to a life of struggling in gutters and alleyways. Relying on petty crime to get by until the day he accidentally steps on the wrong person's toes and gets snuffed out. Wolf found him while scouting for a crew and saw what nobody else ever did, his potential. He had no family, no friends, no ties to anybody else and a fierce desire to prove himself. After being taken under the Boss's wing and trained it wasn't long before the name "Powalski" was one to be feared.

Without Wolf there was no other animal in the galaxy who had the ability to control Leon, not even Panther. He had no intentions of building his own team or starting from the group up somewhere else. No, he needed his Boss. The fact that this had all happened because of his own actions had been haunting his feverish dreams every night.

One of Leon's three-fingered hands slipped under the hem of the sheets, trailing up over the mattress until they ended up in Wolf's overgrown grey chest-fur, feeling his chest rise and fall. He missed this feeling, the feeling of touch and intimacy. Every fiber of Leon's being wanted Wolf to wake up and manhandle him; rough, snarling, grunting, he was just such a _man_ even when lying vulnerable like this. Swallowing the lump that'd formed in his throat Leon pulled himself close to Wolf's face, using his hands to coddle both sides of his muzzle as he spoke to him again.

" _You've done so much, Boss. For your team, your legacy… For me. You've come so far. Nobody deserves rest as much as you do, but not like this. You're not done here yet, and I won't be done with you anytime soon."_

Leon spoke quietly, warm breath traveling directly into Wolf's fuzzy canine ear. There was a lot more he wished he could say but considering the circumstances he figured it might be best to wait. The chameleon stroked his captain's cheeks and headfur while the two waited with bated breath, crossing their fingers for any kind of sign…

"...Well it was worth a shot."

 ***COUGH COUGH COUGH***

Without warning Wolf sprung to life into a loud fit of coughing. His two teammates looked on in astonishment as he lurched forwards off of his pillow, in a flurry he tossed the covers aside and started to scramble back against the backboard.

"Oh my god, he's awake!" Leon spoke, quickly stepping away to give him some space. "I could kiss you cat but I think you'd hit me. Go, get him some water." Panther didn't ask any questions, grabbing a spare mug and running it over to the sink. He hurried back to the side of the bed and tipped the rim against Wolf's muzzle, forcing him to take a drink to alleviate his dehydrated throat. They hadn't figured out an efficient method to get him to drink while he was unconscious and this was likely the result of that. As soon as he'd swallowed the last of it the canine winced and made a deep howl of a whine, penetrating the fabric of the bed with his claws and raking gashes into them.

"What the FUCK!" Wolf shouted, his eye was open but he couldn't see anything outside of blurry shapes and colors. Nothing was recognizable and the last he knew he was being shot by Cornerians, all he could feel was sharp pain and exhaustion all throughout his body. In his confusion he lashed an arm out at Panther, knocking him away with surprising force for somebody who'd been immobilized for such an extended period of time. The cup he'd been drinking from shattered against the floor.

"Shh, shh…" Leon hushed, trying to calm the surprised animal by stroking his ears. "Relax, you're okay. You're safe, it's us."

"W-where-?" Wolf stammered out, eye darting frantically around the room. Wherever he was now it didn't look or feel like Fichina.

"You're back at home, you're safe. Just relax for me."

Wolf stumbled over his words for a moment, sentences were difficult to string together through the shock and pain. Leon was doing his best to calm him down but all of the shouting had begun attracting the others. Panther's acute senses could hear them collecting just outside of the door, it sounded like they were trying to eavesdrop. _"Respectless little imps."_ He thought to himself. Before returning to Wolf's bedside the feline stepped into the bathroom to start up the shower, hoping the sounds of running water would mask their voices from the outside.

"You've been shot, Captain. Please, it's best for you to relax." Panther spoke, he knew these kinds of revelations took time but time was something they didn't have much of.

"You don't say..." Wolf grumbled through his teeth. Panther knelt down at his bedside, comforting his captain by holding one of his paws tight between his own.

"I don't know how much you remember or how much privacy we have but I need to fill you in and quickly. I need to know if you're here yet. Are you with us right now?"

"I-I'm here... " Wolf mumbled. The initial shock was beginning to wear off already, blurry vision steadily coming into focus. As his eye adjusted he could make out Panther's face, aided by the prominent scar on his right cheek.

"How does it feel? Are you in pain?"

"...What do you think?"

"Do you want to take anything? We've got painkillers, I figured you might-"

"No." The captain quickly dismissed the idea, sighing out a deep calming breath. Opiates weren't really his thing.

"Are you sure? Because-"

"I'm sure." He emphasized. A small part of him kind of liked the pain, something like this was almost nostalgic. Like reuniting with an old friend.

"...I understand. You see, I only ask because… Well, we're not exactly in the best of positions right now, I'm afraid that there isn't much time for you to rest and recover. It may be a good idea to take what little there is to offer."

"Why are you here after I told you to leave?" His voice was weak but the inflection was still firm.

"You ejected me from your team, Captain. But I'm not doing this as a teammate. I'm doing this as your friend."

"...Fine. Just talk." Wolf's sentence was punctuated by another short fit of coughing. Panther took this moment to look over at Leon, both of them nodding at each other in silent affirmation. They both knew that it'd be best to just tell him now and get it over with.

"I don't know what you remember so I'll fill you in as best I can." The tone in his voice turned grim as he gripped the captain's paw tight. "You got double crossed. The Cornerians took advantage of you, somebody on their side shot you while you were vulnerable. It was a long rifle too, I don't think any of us could have seen it coming." He paused to take a sharp breath, collecting his thoughts before continuing. "One way or another I was there, I was able to get both you and Leon off the planet but… There was a lot of blood." Wolf's pupil dilated, that name made the memories come flooding back.

"Leon..? Where is he- what happened?" He'd almost forgotten the sequence of events that led to him being in this bed in the first place, being unconscious for all this time does a number on one's mental state.

"He's right next to you, you can ask him yourself."

Wolf's ear made a reflexive twitch, he almost thought that Panther was playing some kind of joke on him. Slowly, almost reluctantly he turned his head to check his blind spot and a familiar face started to come into view. One he wasn't so sure he'd ever get the liberty of seeing again. Despite his unclear vision the vibrant colors of Leon's scales looked gorgeous as always; green, yellow, red… It was unmistakably him.

"Leon…" A million words rushed through Wolf's mind simultaneously, hundreds of things he wanted to say, feelings he wanted to express. But only one felt truly appropriate. "I-... I'm so sorry." He reached out with his left paw and touched Leon's cheek as he spoke; very gently caressing it with his long, sharp claws. Any pretense of toughness was left behind and in that moment Wolf felt something the he hadn't felt in a long time, genuine happiness.

"Don't be sorry, Boss. That's not like you." The chameleon teased. He rubbed his cheek into his captain's hand affectionately.

"Please, just tell me that you're okay."

"I'm okay now, Boss. It took some time to recover but… I wasn't down for as long as you've been."

"What did they do to you?"

"Best not get into that now, just know that I'm okay."

"I was so worried…"

"I should have known you wouldn't leave me behind."

Leon cooed as he started to pull himself up onto the bed, aided by Wolf's beckoning touch. He carefully climbed over the battered canine's body, using his knees to straddle the man's hips with his elbows on either side of his head. As the two grew closer to each other the reptile's long chameleon tongue made a trail of saliva up Wolf's cheek, giving him a playfully affectionate lick.

"I'll make them pay." Wolf muttered as he rubbed the corner of Leon's lips with his thumb, "All of them. Everybody who's crossed us, everybody who stood between you and I."

"That's the man I know."

"And I don't mean to interrupt, Wolf." Panther interjected. He'd let go of Wolf's hand and was standing a few feet away, letting the two have just a bit of space. "But we've also got another priority... I need to inform you that our ship has been boarded. Forcefully."

"Boarded? By who?" Wolf questioned with surprise, Leon sat back up on his knees. Apparently fun time had met a premature end.

"Oikonny's Army. In fact, I do believe maybe eight of them are standing outside the door to this room as we speak, trying to listen to us."

"The apes?" Wolf snarled, the extra vibration in his throat made him cough. He wasn't sure what he was expecting but it certainly wasn't that. "They dared to force their way into MY ship? Why?"

"...I tried to hold them back, but it was just me against all of them, I-... I figured you'd be happier if I gave it up and lived rather than died trying to resist."

"Did they hurt you?"

"I'm fine, but it's you they're after."


	17. Chapter 17

Standing didn't come easy to the grey-muzzled captain but with his ship boarded by a foreign party he couldn't afford to look weak. Panther aided his efforts by propping him up by his right arm but as soon as he was left to stand on his own two legs the dizziness kicked in. His blood pressure was still low and circulation wasn't getting all the way to his head. Regardless, he wasn't about to let something like that control him. Wolf wobbled for a moment before he was able to claim his balance, chest heaving with labored breath. The pain alone would be enough to cripple most men but to Wolf it was just a gentle visit from a familiar friend.

"Boss you don't have to push yourself- you've been out for close to a week. They'll understand." Leon spoke concerningly.

"...I won't let them think that I'm weak." His voice was a bit raspy from dehydration, but he was still intelligible.

"You've been shot, I don't think-"

"I'll hear nothing more from you. Either of you." Not even an hour of consciousness and he was already ready to direct his team. Panther and Leon knew this was why he was so revered, leading others just came as second nature. "Bring me my eyepatch."

Leon snatched it off of the end table and came up behind Wolf. He wrapped his arms around his captain's back, pulling himself a bit closer than he needed to be. The patch was pulled over his head, strap affixed firmly from right-ear to left-jowl. Despite technology allowing other more useful kinds of coverings, Wolf always viewed the reliance on such to be a sign of weakness. He needed nothing more than what he had.

"I expect both of you to be alert. If this meeting goes south I'm relying on you to have my back. Understand me?"

"Yes, Boss." Both of the teammates spoke in unison. Wolf looked down at himself and momentarily considered if he was even ready. He was dressed in nothing more than some grey sweatpants and bandages, he didn't even have shoes; toe-claws left to tap against the ground when he walked. It felt awfully exposing, but there wasn't much else that could be done. He grabbed a glass of water that Panther brought out for him and gave it a chug.

"Alright, let's do this." The wolf spoke to himself as he placed the glass back down on the nightstand. His first steps over to the door were a struggle but it didn't take long for him to find his footing. By the time he had crossed the room he looked almost natural, not letting his lightheadedness and overexerted heart keep him from giving off an aura of dominance. Leon and Panther followed not far behind, keeping a careful distance in the event that he needed any help. Leaving no time for doubt, the captain pressed his palm against the button to open the door, almost eager to see what awaited.

"H-hey! OW!" To Wolf's surprise he was greeted immediately as the door slid open, but not in the way he was expecting. One of the apes fell through the doorway and onto the ground, a handful of others all huddled up close behind. It looked like he had been leaning with his ear flush against the door, not doing a very good job of concealing his attempt at eavesdropping.

"Well then… What do we have here?" Wolf spoke, crossing his arms over his bandaged chest. His unkempt physique loomed intimidatingly over the monkey, flat on his back.

"W-Wolf! You- you're uhh… Hey! You're awake! I-It's good to see you!" Looking up from Wolf's feet he was having a hard time controlling his nerve. Even injured and unwashed the tall, chiseled canine standing over you was not a sight you wanted to see. It was apparent that this ape was just a runt, not their leader. Wolf reached down with his good arm and grabbed him by the shirt collar. Sternly, he pulled the skinny primate up to his feet and tossed him over to his buddies out in the hall.

"So you're the cowards who waited until I was injured to board my ship."

"Watch your mouth, punk!" A high-pitched voice from the back shouted, "Just because you're up don't mean you're in charge!" Wolf grinned, someone was already asking for trouble.

"Yeah? Well then who is?" He asked; the monkey who spoke up wasted no time in presenting himself, scrambling and pushing his way through to the front of the group.

"I am." He spoke. He was a bit taller and carried himself more confidently than the others, fearlessly staring the canine in front of him up and down. Wolf's eye was immediately drawn to the firearm on his hip. Unlike most other thugs he didn't carry a blaster; instead he was packing what appeared to be a six-cylinder revolver tucked away in a fancy leather holster. Combustion guns were certainly not as common or as efficient as blasters, but something of that size could definitely be more devastating when used right. Either way, gang bangers who carried combustion guns generally did so as a status symbol and weren't necessarily known for their prowess with them.

"I've never seen you around Oikonny's crew before, fresh off the street?" Wolf spoke in his raspy voice, a scowl broke out on the ape's face.

"You can quit the funny talk right now, cripple." He was a bit taken aback, that wasn't an insult he had heard thrown his way before. "I ain't here to talk about myself."

"You dare force your way onto my ship only to insult me? I don't think you realize that you're speaking with the Wolf O'Donnell. Leader of mercenary team Star Wolf. Now, who the hell are you?"

"Ooh big ol' scary name huh? Well you can save your breath 'cause your renown don't mean NOTHIN to me." He replied, spitting on the floor between them. "My boys call me Scratch. But I expect you to just call me 'sir', got it?"

"No promises."

"You know I wanted to have a little chat with you, but goddamn it stinks like death in here."

"...Well I did just come back from death." Wolf riposted. The primate wasn't impressed.

"You can put a muzzle on it, I don't care about what you've done. Only thing I care about is what you're GOING to do. For ME. Now follow me, we'll talk in the kitchen."

"Anything you want to say to me, you can say right here."

"That sentence wasn't open-ended, pal." Scratch put his right paw on the grip of his revolver and pulled it out of the holster. He pointed the end of the barrel into Wolf's gut and cocked back the hammer. "That was a command. You're mine now and you'll do what I tell you, capiche?"

With a gun pointed at him Wolf realized that this was a lot more serious than he was originally thinking. He knew that there wasn't much he'd be able to do with the barrel of a firearm pointed at his gut, so he reluctantly did what he was told. Both groups rallied together and headed down the hallway towards the kitchen, Panther and Leon following their leader closely on either side to make sure they were there if he needed help staying upright. When Scratch's men stepped into the room they spread out, standing around the perimeter to make sure they had every angle on team Star Wolf Star Wolf. Wolf counted them out as he and his teammates entered. One, two, three… Eight lackeys and then their leader, so nine total. All of them were armed but what they had wasn't uniform, lots of scrapped together weapons of varying sizes and functionalities. One even had what appeared to be a baseball bat. They weren't as coordinated as some of the other armies in the galaxy.

"You going to tell me what the hell the meaning of all of this is?" Wolf spoke as he approached their leader. He was lazily leaning against the counter and pouring some of Wolf's booze into a small shot glass, devilish grin plastered over his face. Leon and Panther broke off from their captain's side but remained a close distance behind him. They stayed observant, keeping a watchful eye on all of the others for any furtive movements.

"I was gunna ask you the same thing." Scratch sneered. He gave his revolver a deft little spin and then slotted it back into its holster, holding his filled up shot glass in the opposite hand. "A little birdy told me you was housin' a certain orange fox around here. Now, a bold claim like that I just had to come and see for myself. But then me and my boys get here, all happy and excited to see you, when your pet gets the idea in his head to open fire on us! Is that how you treat all your guests, Wolf?"

"You tried to force your way onto our ship completely unannounced." Panther spoke in his defense.

"Shut your yap, cat. We ain't talkin' to you. Be thankful you only tapped my friend here in the arm or else you'd be space-waste by now." Sure enough, one of the men occupying the room had a bandaged up arm, otherwise he looked okay. "And hey, we've been tryin' to call you for days Wolfy. You ain't never picked up, figures there's something you was hiding, huh? What's up with that?"

"My men are trained to defend our home against vermin like you." Wolf spoke, crossing his arms. His recovering pectoral sent a sting of pain through his body as it was agitated.

"Well he ain't trained well judging by how fast he rolled over when he saw how many of us there showed up."

"Hold your tongue before I cut it loose, filthy animal."

"You couldn't cut a line you weak sack of shit." Scratch pointed an aggressive finger, playtime was clearly over. His voice grew serious. "Listen, I didn't come here to argue with you. I came here for some answers and you're gunna gimme 'em. What I wanna know is where Oikonny's at, and where you think he should be."

"…You know where Oikonny's at. He's with the Cornerians." Wolf spoke, he had an idea where this was going.

"Right! Right, right. But where should he be?" This time Wolf didn't respond, reluctant to give Scratch the satisfaction. "WHERE SHOULD HE BE, WOLFY?"

"Wherever the hell they locked him up."

"WRONG. He should be HERE. With US." Scratch shouted; some of the expensive liquor from his shot glass sloshed over onto the ground. He took a moment to shoot what remained down his throat, slamming the empty glass on the table before he continued. "You promised us you'd get him back, you OWE us. Now, looking at your injury it looks like you had an opportunity and ya didn't take it. That true?" Wolf just glared. He wasn't going to be made a fool of in front of his own men. Not like this. "I asked you a question, I ain't gunna ask you again."

"I told your army that I'd try, and I did. Something else came up and I couldn't do it. You'll have to find another way."

"No no no, there AIN'T no other way Wolfy. You made us a promise, now you have to deliver." Wolf didn't like being commanded, Scratch was playing with fire. "You wouldn't be ANYTHING without Oikonny or his uncle. Your ships, your money, your fame, it all came from him and you're gunna pay him back."

"You expect me to take him from the Cornerians now? In this state? My whole team almost died, we're in no shape to fight your fights for you cowards."

"What part of 'I don't care' doesn't register in that scraggly little head of yours? You're doing it, one way or another. You don't got a say this time. You owe them, and now you're gunna repay your debts. That make sense to you, pup?"

"…And if I say no?" Wolf glanced over at Panther from the corner of his eye, making sure his teammates were paying attention. And while he couldn't see Leon he figured he was standing off to his left, covering his blind spot as usual. A plan was beginning to take shape in his head, it was clear that there wasn't going to be any way of talking it down and if he didn't act soon he didn't know when his next opportunity would be.

"Ain't no way out of your obligations, Wolfy. You promised us. If you go back on your word, there will be consequences."

"Consequences, huh? Like what, you gunna ground me? Take my lunch money?" Wolf tested, Scratch didn't like that.

"You think this is a game, numb nuts? Here, I'll spell it out for you. If you don't work with us, we'll have to-" Scratch moved his right paw again to unholster his firearm. As soon as his palm touched the polished wood, Wolf knew it was his moment to act.

Scrounging up all of the energy in his body, Wolf quickly lunged across the room to teach a lesson in respect. With the element of surprise on his side, the canine made a powerful upwards swing with his right arm. His inch-long claws ravaged Scratch's face, raking deep lacerations into his flesh that extended from his neck all the way up over both of his eyes. Scratch was flung to the side, almost immediately collapsing into a loud squirming ball on the floor, helplessly clasping his ruined face with his paws as he shouted in pain. The blood was plentiful, marking Wolf's grey fur and dripping red splotches all over the floor.

His men moved to draw their weapons but Leon and Panther's reactions were too fast; being a part of Star Wolf and working as a team for so long meant that they were much more in sync with each other than these Venomonians were. As soon as Wolf acted, Panther drew his handgun off of his hip and pegged the fastest-drawing ape square in the head, neutralizing the most imminent threat before he had enough the time to raise his weapon. At the same time the monkey closest to Leon had turned to grab his assault rifle that was left leaning carelessly against the wall. As he spun around with it in his hands Leon's switchblade was sunk, almost surgically, straight into his jugular. He stumbled backwards, releasing his grip on the weapon and clutching his neck desperately. Leon quickly grabbed the rifle as it clanged against the floor, turning with it in-hand to identify the next target.

Watching their buddies fall, the rest of the men were too scared and uncertain to continue. Instead of counter attacking, they froze where they stood. Lacking the training and courage to fight in the face of adversity, they were clearly relying on their presence being enough- for most people they were trying to intimidate simply having the numbers was all they needed. This was the first time that somebody pushed back.

"DROP YOUR WEAPONS." Panther boomed, switching the sights of his handgun between everybody in the room. Leon followed suit, brandishing his rifle menacingly to wrangle control of the crowd. The six that remained did what they were told, watching each other with deer-in-headlight eyes as they bent down and placed their various weapons on the floor. One of the larger ones was initially reluctant but a quick rifle-butt to the groin from Leon was enough to put him in his place. "EVERYBODY HANDS UP, AGAINST THE WALL." The black cat commanded.

While his teammates corralled the rabble, Wolf stood over his adversary and watched him, crumpled up on the cold metal floor with a pool of blood forming around his head. Wolf wanted to spit on him but his mouth was too dry, so instead he just stood, enjoying the sight of the overconfident ape reduced to a whimpering mess before him. But it didn't come without a cost. He had definitely overexerted himself, his recently healed wound had re-opened just enough to bleed through the bandages. It hurt, but was worth it.

"Filthy ape." The canine muttered, he could feel the strength to stand leaving his body as he bled once more. He huffed through his nostrils before crossing the room to rest in one of their chairs.

"Wolf, what do we do with them?" Panther asked, he and Leon holding all six of the remaining intruders at gunpoint against the wall.

"Confiscate their weapons and let them leave, they can take their fallen with them."

"We're letting them go..?" Leon asked, dejected. He was looking forward to having some fun, it had been a while since they housed prisoners.

"They can go tell the others what happened here. Let Oikonny's Army and the rest of the degenerates know that I'm not to be trifled with."

"As you wish." Panther spoke, he started to round up all of the weapons and kicked them over to the kitchen as Leon kept the men under control.

"But know just one thing." Wolf followed-up, this time directing his words straight to the opposing crew. His eyes were closed and he held his forehead in his bloody paw. "I only let you go because I believe that an honest mistake was made. Cross me like this again and I'll kill all of you, every single one of you filthy animals will be laid waste to and I won't stop until I'm sure you've breathed your last breath. Do you understand?"

"I-I…" One of them stammered out, unsure if Wolf was looking for a response.

"I asked you all a question."

"Y-yes sir." They replied in unison.

"Good, now take your injured and leave. You'll find no quarter for them here."


	18. Chapter 18

After the ordeal Oikonny's men, dominated and defeated, reluctantly departed the Star Wolf mothership; tails dragging between their legs as the standing carried the fallen in pairs. Muffled whimpers from their captain echoed off of the walls as he clutched his bleeding face. The victims of Panther and Leon were completely silent, however, having long since succumbed to their injuries. Panther barked commands with his gun pointed into their backs, forcibly escorting them out to the docking bay. Their weapons were left in a pile on the kitchen floor; Scratch's revolver stood out amongst the rest of the guns, most of them barely even worth the materials they were made with. Wolf had made a special request for Panther to take the holster off of the Venomian captain before they departed, couldn't let something that pretty go to waste on a filthy ape like him.

As the last of the rabble cleared out Leon's temperament changed like the flick of a switch. Certain the others were out of earshot, he tossed his rifle to the floor and rushed to his Boss's aid.

"Boss, are you alright? You- I can't believe you had that in you."

"Yeah? And why's that?" Wolf replied under his breath, his eyelid was closed as he tried to gather himself. "…Just because I'm hurt doesn't mean I don't have my pride."

"Y-yes but…" Leon's voice stammered, "All of these years that we've been partners and you still continue to impress me."

Wolf's single red eye opened and looked his teammate right in the face, he rested his muzzle in his palm and paused there, tossing some words around in his head. He was drained and tired but they were alone at last, something he had been waiting for. "Leon… I need you to understand something for me."

"Of course captain, I'm all ears for you."

"This probably isn't the right time but after everything we've been through I don't really care anymore. There's something on my mind that I've been denying and it's pathetic of me to ignore it any longer, so I might as well just spit it out."

"Anything, Boss."

"I love you, Powalski." Wolf spoke in a serious tone, he wasn't a romantic man and didn't quite have the most appropriate ways of expressing this kind of thing. Leon gulped, he wasn't sure what he was expecting but it definitely wasn't that. He had been of the mind that their 'affection' would go unspoken, obvious to each other but never officially brought to the table.

"Boss I-"

"Don't talk." His captain interrupted, placing a furry finger to the chameleon's lips. "I don't care what you think about that, I just want you to know and I'm not sure when I'll get another moment to tell you. The road out of here is going to be long and... If we're going to live through this then we need to be on the same page."

"That's… Insightful."

"Ever since the beginning you've never left my side, you've been a better soldier than a man like me deserves. You're nothing but loyal and, with your life in my hands, I let you down. My feelings got the better of me and I regret that." Wolf reached his paw out and grabbed Leon's forearm, pulling him close and staring into his reptilian eyes with a fierce intensity. "I will **never** let that happen again." The canine's words came out almost angrily. "From now on- as long as my heart beats **nobody** will ever come between us. No Cornerian, no Venomian, no mercenary or outlaw. **Nobody**."

A lot flowed through Leon's head but he wasn't sure if his captain wanted him to speak. He felt that everything that needed to be said had already been said, anything beyond acknowledgement would probably be unnecessary. Instead of vocalizing his thoughts he instead gave Wolf a gentle affirmation, placing his hand on the canine's shoulder to let him know that his words had imprinted on him. From that point the two locked gazes, quietly staring at each other as they experienced an unspoken understanding of the other's feelings. Outside the window behind them one could see the tail streaks from retreating ships marring the star-speckled void of space.

As the minutes ticked by, Wolf knew that whatever wrongdoing had come from his actions, everything was forgiven.

"You're goddamn crazy, Wolf." A familiar baritone voice suddenly interrupted, sentence ending with a chuckle. Panther had returned, hard soles of his dress shoes tapping against the ground as he strolled in from the hallway. It was then that he noticed the two, staring at each other in the silence of their own presence. "Oh, apologies. Have I interrupted something here?" He said, realizing his intrusion. Wolf exhaled a frustrated huff before reluctantly switching his attention over to the feline.

"…No, you're fine." The captain spoke, releasing his hold on Leon's forearm and shifting in his chair.

"Well… They didn't put up much of a fuss. Walked them out to their ships and they disembarked without any more trouble. They had to leave a few of their vessels here so we can probably scrap them when we get some time. Hey- Wolf you're bleeding again." Panther noticed, pointing a clawed finger to the canine's injury. The cat was right, a few fresh streaks of blood had run down through Wolf's matted abdominal-fur, bandage soaked all the way through. He had been a bit too pre-occupied to notice.

"…I don't care." Wolf grunted weakly through gritted fangs, a little embarrassed by his vulnerability. Leon circled around to the front to see for himself.

"Well I do." The chameleon interjected, "Cat, make sure he stays where he is and get some pressure on it. I'll be right back." He quickly assessed the bleeding's severity before disappearing out of the room. Panther grabbed an old rag from the kitchen and brought it over, kneeling down and pressing it gently against Wolf's injury to try and stifle the flow of blood. It didn't have much of an effect.

"Can't believe you just took that man's face off." Panther spoke, trying to distract Wolf while they waited.

"…It worked, didn't it?"

"You can't argue with results. I can't think of a much better way to send a message."

"He dug his own grave the instant he boarded my ship. All I did was act accordingly."

No more than a few moments later Leon returned with an armful of supplies. He took Panther's place and got right to business, holding Wolf's elbows above his head so that he could begin to cut the old bandages. Blood would certainly be staining the chair it's not like this would be the first time.

"…So what's the plan going forwards, captain?" Panther asked, arms folded over his chest as he watched the dexterous little chameleon work. It took Wolf a second to collect his thoughts before he was able to respond.

"You know that you're not obliged to be here anymore, Panther Caroso." He spoke. The canine's words were quiet but his message came out clear. "I won't command you to go but you don't have to stay… I already deposited your share of Star Wolf's money into your account after you left. You're fully paid out." Leon's medical scissors finished cutting the side of the bandage wrap and he was able to remove it from around his captain's chest. The deep red crater of a wound was left exposed to the air once again, Wolf winced as Leon picked the old gauze out and began to repack it.

"If you think I care about the money then you're sorely mistaken." Panther retorted, raising a brow curiously.

"Then care about your life, Panther. You know as well as I do that it's not going to get any easier around here. Both armies want my head on a pike and it won't be long before another problem comes to our doorstep. It's only a matter of time, especially if the Cornerians are in possession of my Wolfen. They'll be able to decrypt our location I'm sure of it." Panther's eyes shifted off to the side, the thought of blowing up Wolf's ship hadn't even crossed his mind during the rescue.

"All I'm hearing are reasons for me to stay by your side, you two can't face this threat on your own."

"Don't be an idiot." Wolf coughed into his fist as the clean new bandages were wrapped around and constricted his ribcage, "Just… Hear me out. Powalski and I are known galaxy-wide but you- you still have a chance. You can take your money far away where nobody knows who you are and start a new life. New name, new identity… You can get a girl and settle down, just blend in. Neither of you would have to work another day, you could carry on in ways we can't."

Panther sighed and shook his head. "Wolf… I appreciate your concern but you know as well as I do that that's not who I am. This is the kind of life I was born into and the kind of life I'll live until I die, I don't back down in the face of adversity." Panther's ears folded back as he reached out and placed a heavy paw on Wolf's knee, "The times ahead may be dark but the darkness is where I excel, my friend."

Leon could feel Wolf's chest rumble in a frustrated growl as he finished securing the tape, fastening a pin on the end to ensure that it stays in place. Satisfied with his work, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of his Boss's cigarettes along with a lighter. The chameleon tapped one out of the box and placed the filter in the recovering canine's muzzle, completing the experience by lighting the end for him. Wolf didn't realize how badly he needed a smoke until he had his first inhale, feeling the much needed nicotine starting to round out the edge of his stress.

"I guess there's a reason I picked you out for my team." He spoke in a breath of smoke, "You're stubborn, ignorant and strong. You're just like me." Panther chuckled, it was probably the most honest sentence he'd heard in a while.

"If I were just like you I'd consume my own weight in liquor and cigarettes every day."

"…With what we deal with I'm surprised you don't."

* * *

Wolf was certainly tired and well-deserving of rest but deep down he was feeling too much joy being reunited with his team. Instead of retiring to his bedroom to sleep the pain away, he decided to stay up with the others- aided by a pot of coffee and some quickly thrown together food. The three spent the rest of the night regaling in each other's stories of what they experienced over the last handful of days, from Leon's imprisonment to Panther's rescue. For the first time in what felt like far too long they were free from those who wished them harm. If even just for that evening.

When Wolf did find himself in bed the chameleon was not far behind, as per usual; but for once he didn't need to find a way to sneak in during the middle of the night. No- he was invited. Well, maybe not explicitly invited, but implicit was good enough for new beginnings. The bedroom door was unlocked and he wasn't shooed away when he found his captain lying still awake.

"Boss, you're still-"

" _Shh…_ " Wolf hushed, he wasn't always a man of many words and he didn't feel like now was a good time for them. Instead, he let his actions speak for him- patting the empty space next to him on the bed invitingly. For a moment Leon was almost confused, this kind of treatment wasn't something he was used to. As he crossed the room he shed his clothing onto the floor, dressing down until none was left to the imagination. The room was dark but his nude, feminine figure was outlined by the dull light coming through from the window to outer space. Male or no, Wolf knew that he had hit the jackpot.

Quietly, the chameleon slipped in under the covers. Pushing his cold-blooded scales up against his Boss's warm scraggly fur. He was rewarded with a thick, muscular arm gripping around his body and pulling him in tight against his chest. There the two lay, face to face and surrounded by nothing other than each other's naked bodies and the quiet hum of the spaceship that protected them.

"Leon…" Wolf whispered under his breath, he still had his eye patch strung around his head- concealing his indecency from his teammate. It was one of the few things that Leon knew he could be quite sensitive about.

"…You needn't hide yourself from me." The chameleon hummed as his slick hands worked up his Boss's head, gently slipping his fingers under the taut string. He pulled the eyepatch off over Wolf's ear and threw it to the bedside table. "I want to see every part of you." Wolf remained tolerant but wasn't entirely comfortable.

"…Why?" Wolf asked, feeling uneasy but still gripping his chameleon tight against his strong body.

"I've wanted to say it back… I love you too, Wolf." Leon spoke, finger tracing along the strong captain's jawline. "I love every part of you, your strengths and your follies- I want you to conceal nothing from me. I love it all." While this was true, Leon secretly found the missing eye to also be an incredibly attractive feature. Wolf swallowed the lump that had begun to form in his throat as Leon's fingers touched over his scarred socket.

"Shut up and kiss me."

Close, alone and honest with their feelings for the first time- Wolf spent the better part of the night with his stiff canine cock buried deep in Leon's effeminate genital slit, something he'd been thinking about more than he'd like to admit. He wasn't expecting to be able to perform with his recent bodily trauma but the two were able to make something work. Desperate and feeling their loneliness melt away the two mated for as long as they could; it wasn't their first time like this but this time something had changed. Instead of his usual roughness Wolf instead moved with careful attention. Slowly and passionately he pushed his drooling length in and out of his chameleon's cloaca, claiming the space as his own for as long as he was able to.

Normally, Wolf fucked with only himself in mind. It wasn't uncommon for him to finish and call it quits; if the other finished as well it was an added bonus but he rarely went out of his way to make it happen. This time, he held himself back until he could feel Leon's body quivering on the verge of climax.

"Boss- I…"

" _Shh…"_ Wolf repeated from earlier, grin plastered over his muzzle. Eagerly he watched the reptile break out into his orgasm, gripping the captain's matted chestfur tight and clenching his jaw as his body hunched over, shivering in satisfaction. Wolf let himself go as soon as he was confident that Leon has finished; grunting through his fangs as his member pulsated, pumping thick ropes of fertile seed deep into his partner's body.

Panting out their exhaustion in the radiant afterglow the duo of mismatched species finally fell asleep late into the night. Despite all of the hardships that surrounded them and all of the pain and strife that was to come, they were able to find just a moment of safety and happiness in each other's arms.


	19. Chapter 19

As with every morning, the Star Wolf mothership simulated the day-night cycle with a gradual ramping up of the lighting and ambient sound. This way, despite the never changing darkness of the void of outer space, the inhabitants were still able to maintain a regular sleep schedule. Leon normally woke earlier than the others as his cold blood made him more sensitive to subtle changes in the light. This morning, however, something was different. There he lay in the captain's bed, all alone. It wasn't common that Wolf got up before him and he missed having a warm body to huddle up against. Feeling uneasy the chameleon rose from the sheets and slipped on some of his clothing that was strewn about on the floor from the previous night. He took a moment to splash some water on his face in the captain's sink before departing, seeking out his Boss to make sure everything was okay.

Stepping into the common room the mess was exactly how they had left it; blood splatters on the walls and empty bottles littering the floors. Somebody would have to clean but now probably wasn't the best time. Instead, Leon's focus was drawn towards the one thing that stood out; a large black duffel bag that had somehow found its way onto the counter. He approached it, giving the side a firm jostle before undoing the zipper and looking inside. Contained within were guns, lots of guns. Long rifles, short rifles, shotguns, handguns… All of them Star Wolf property. The chameleon cocked his head curiously.

"Stealing my guns, Powalski?" A voice behind him spoke, Leon gave a sly glance over his shoulder.

"You call these guns?" He teased, it was just Wolf. "I can show you guns."

"I'll bet you could." The captain dismissed. He walked up next to his teammate and tossed another bag down with a resounding thud.

"You're up awfully early for an injured man, Boss. Shouldn't you be resting?"

Wolf shook his head, "I'll have plenty of time to rest when I'm dead."

"Pardon my asking but what's with the bags?" He asked, zipping the one in front of him back up.

"I'm… Well… I'll tell you when Panther gets here." Wolf still hadn't switched out of his bed clothing; he stood in the common area wearing just a black tank top and some gym shorts- toe claws clacking against the ground as he walked. "Why don't you be useful and cook?"

"As you wish." Leon agreed as he hurried over to the other side of the counter; Boss was abrasive but it was all in good jest. He pulled the refrigerator door open and hummed to himself while he contemplated the components for a meal. Eventually he decided, pulling some ingredients out and preparing the heating element on the stovetop. The ship was a bit low on supplies because of the uninvited guests so they had to make do with what was left, any decent sources of protein had been consumed a long time ago. Wolf took the next few moments to sit down in one of his barstools and watch, resting his chin on his fingers and quietly observing. He needed a break from the busy morning.

With the sound and smell of somebody else taking the initiative to cook, it wasn't long before Panther emerged from his room; shirtless and still buckling up his slacks.

"My apologies- I wasn't aware we were meeting early."

"You're fine, cat." Wolf spoke, eye still fixed on the food.

"Captain, why are you already out of bed?" The feline responded with concern, "You mustn't overexert yourself again, you need rest. Let us take care of the ship today."

"Rest is for the weak."

"Surely you've earned just one day?"

"Not just yet. I'll explain later, for now we should eat."

'Eat' was the magic word for somebody with Panther's size and stature. He nodded in agreement, sitting at the barstool next to his captain to join him in waiting. When it came time to plate, as always, he and Wolf got the lion's share. Not that it was anything exciting; just some canned meats, vegetables and bread, but even that was enough to please a hungry crowd. Wolf's hand was halfway across the countertop heading towards a bottle of whiskey before Leon interrupted, gently grabbing his wrist with two fingers.

"Maybe take it easy on your body for now, Boss." The chameleon spoke. Wolf grumbled for a moment but ultimately agreed, retracting his arm. Alcoholism is a pain.

The remainder of breakfast went by without any conversation, the trio choosing instead to focus on what they had in front of them. Wolf had always been a fast eater and finished his plate before the others- loudly declaring this by slamming his mug down on the table after swallowing the last of his juice.

"Well." Wolf spoke, "I guess now is as good of a time as any for us to talk. I've made a decision and I need to know what you two think."

"Oh? Have you come up with a plan?" Panther asked after he swallowed his last bite, placing his utensils down on the plate. Wolf stood tall, hands on his hips while he looked over his team confidently. His ears were perked sharp and his tail swishing, almost as if he were excited for the announcement.

"Yeah. We're forging a new path. We start by leaving this place behind us. _Tonight_." Panther and Leon glanced at each other, gauging the other's reaction.

"…Tonight?" The feline questioned. "Where are we going?"

"We'll take wing and fly to Titania."

"Titania? That's… Quite a long trip. What are we doing on Titania?" Leon looked a bit anxious, he wasn't sure where this was heading.

"I don't wanna be here anymore." Wolf put it bluntly. "With the Cornerians in possession of my Wolfen and Oikonny's Army being pissed… I don't think it's safe." He shook his head, "Knowing those apes they'll do one of two things as soon as Scratch and his team report home; either decide that we're not worth the trouble and leave us alone, or come at us full force in retaliation. I don't feel safe gambling those odds with everything else we're dealing with. So we'll take the safe route and leave. If either army comes for us, all they'll find is an empty ship."

"So that's it?" Panther asked, "We're just going to run?"

"Run? Absolutely not." The captain imposed. "No… We just need time to lick our wounds. We'll stay off their radar long enough for them to forget and go back to fighting each other, keep our hands clean and live with our heads down. Out of sight, out of mind."

"And then what? Just stay out of the way until the war ends?"

"Who knows how long that would take? No, we'll stay in practice, focus on each other and work together to grow as a team. Then… When we're ready, we'll retaliate. Stronger than ever before."

The room fell silent for a moment as contemplation washed over the team members. Wolf's plan certainly had merit; he was right about impending danger and his proposition sounded like it had the best odds of survival. It would be a big change but… Perhaps change was necessary. The last few years since the Lylat War's end had been too easy, with their recent missteps it was obvious that they had fallen from their former glory.

"I'm in." Leon said, stating what didn't need to be. "As always, Boss, your word is my command."

"Me as well." Panther followed up. "I see no reason why we cannot take some time to separate ourselves from conflict. We'll recover and practice. When we return we'll be stronger than ever before."

Wolf smiled. For once it wasn't a smirk. No, a fully-fledged smile bloomed on his muzzle. The support of his teammates… his family, meant the world to him.

"That's what I like to hear. Take the day to bag anything you don't want to lose and get your last looks on the ship, we may not be able to come back. I'll be inventorying the weapons if either of you need me or have any questions. Understand?"

"Understood." The two spoke in unison. Wolf clapped Panther on the shoulder happily.

"Good." And with that final word the captain excused himself from breakfast- grey tail swishing with newfound energy as he disappeared into the hallway, leaving Panther and Leon to each other's company. It didn't take long for the sly chameleon to seize the opportunity.

"…You heard the Boss." Leon spoke as he effeminately nibbled on the last of his food, "He said we'll be taking some time to focus on each other. Does that make you happy?" Panther glared, sensing that he was being set up for a double entendre. He tried to ignore it but the chameleon had already raised himself from his barstool, meandering over to Panther's side of the counter with a sway in his hips. He stopped behind him and reached around the cat's chest with both arms; moving like he was going to collect the empty plate but lingering for an inappropriate amount of time. "Your silence speaks louder than your words, handsome."

"These are serious matters, snake. You know what he means." Panther was used to Leon's teasing but was never able to fully get a bead on his motivations. He wasn't sure if it was mockery, genuine flirting, or some kind of combination of both. Watching his interactions with others it seemed most likely that the creature just liked to make men uncomfortable.

"Of course I do." The chameleon teased, delicately running his fingertips through the fur on Panther's shapely pectoral muscles. "What were you thinking?" Standing like this their size difference was very obvious, Panther's back was at least twice as large as Leon's and even sitting down he managed to be taller. The feline responded to the touch with a low growl.

"One day you'll overstep your boundaries with somebody less patient. I hope then you finally learn your place."

"Hmph, you're no fun sometimes cat." He grabbed Panther's breakfast dishes and retracted his arms from around the poor cat's body. "You should learn to live a little. Even the Boss did…" Before carrying them over to the sink he had to get in the last word- leaning close and placing his mouth adjacent to Panther's ear. " _Do you want to know what he did to me last night?"_

Panther swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. As the events of the last few weeks settled he had started to realize how much of a toll it had taken on him both physically and emotionally. While he had his team to support him including a strong leader to look up to, there was undeniably something missing. This had really begun to sink in last night as he lay in bed alone, knowing the others were just rooms away enjoying their company. That said, his pride stood tall amidst the sea of red flags. Wolf and Leon had some kind of relationship going on, while he didn't know exactly what they were to each other it was obvious that they were something.

"I'm sure the captain wouldn't appreciate you behaving this way."

"Tsk tsk, you _are_ the jealous type aren't you? No matter, it's all just games isn't it?" He rolled his tongue for a moment, making a soft purr. "You should know I like to tease, I've already got the Boss. What do I need you for?"

"Silence yourself." Panther growled louder through gritted teeth, "Your games aren't welcome with me."

"You've got some pent up aggression, don't you?" Leon asked, smiling to himself as he bent over the kitchen sink with his curled tail suspiciously high in the air. "Maybe we should start sparring again after the chaos subsides. Might be good for you."

"Yeah, maybe you're right."


	20. Chapter 20: The End

In the docking bay the three teammates prepared their Wolfens for departure. Already packed and sorted, the only thing left for them to do was finish their goodbyes. Wolf had to fit himself into Pigma's old ship, it was messier than the others and smelled like something had been spilled all over the pilot's seat. Either way, a ship was a ship and soon the only thing he'd even be able to smell would be the smoke from his own cigarettes.

"Don't be so quiet. This is the first step to a better life, boys." Wolf tried to be motivational but his words fell flat, it didn't help that even he didn't entirely believe was he was saying. Team Star Wolf had poured their heart and souls into this base for years and the feeling of being sent back to square one was devastating, to say the least. They were being forced to flee from the only life they'd known for years. After being met with another few moments of silence he decided to follow it up with a direct question.

"…Will you miss it?" Wolf asked the others, knowing he had to do something to improve the team's morale. He fronted like he didn't care as he lit the end of a cigarette that was hanging out of the corner of his muzzle, he had to play tough to reinforce their expectation of leadership. Neither of the teammates had a verbal response; Leon hesitated for a moment before giving an unenthusiastic nod into the camera while Panther simply exhaled a stressful sounding sigh. It would clearly take a bit more to get everybody going. Wolf took a deep drag on his cigarette before opening up again.

"You two understand that nothing that we're leaving behind today matters, right? These possessions, the mothership, they don't make us who we are. _We_ get to decide who we are. Us three, we're more than just a team and I think both of you know that. You boys are my family, you're all that I care about in this godforsaken galaxy. We'll beat this. We'll recover, regroup and then come back so hard that nobody will know what hit them. They'll all pay." Wolf gritted his teeth and closed his eye, the cigarette's filter was squished in-between his fangs. "I've said it before and I'll repeat it every day until it happens. _Everybody_ who's crossed us will pay with their lives; the apes, the dogs… Everybody who forced us to where we are now. No matter how long this takes, how tough we have it, they'll learn what it means to cross **Star Wolf**."

"…They know not what beast truly lurks in the shadows." Panther finally spoke up, feeling at least a tinge of renewed confidence after his leader's speech.

"They certainly don't." Wolf replied through a newly formed grin, a big plume of smoke billowed from his nose as he tinkered with a few of the controls on the Wolfen's dashboard. "Who knows, maybe we'll be back here someday and it'll all be just as we remembered it. Either way, we don't let petty things like possessions keep us down, not when we still have each other. Whatever they take from us I'll _personally_ add to their bill when everything comes full circle."

Despite not being the best of speakers Wolf was passionate, his strong belief in both himself and his team was infectious. When he really believed in something it wasn't difficult for him to drum up that same amount of inspiration in others, a trait that Leon found very attractive. The chameleon's eyes drew narrow as the corners of his lips curled into a devilish smirk. Wherever they went, he knew that he belonged at his Boss's side.

"Come now, Boss. Let's not waste any more time." He spoke as his Wolfen's engines powered up.

"You boys ready, then?" Wolf asked.

"I'm always ready captain, just say the word." Panther replied. The sounds of the roaring exhaust resonating off of the hangar walls was beginning to drown out their intercom.

"…Goddamnit I'm proud of you two." The leader said quietly, his words were obfuscated behind the background noise but the intent behind them didn't go unnoticed.

On that final note the ships erupted out of the docking bay, sending the team careening away from their home in streaks of bright color. They walked from the life they knew to gamble on a hope to save all they had, each other. All three understood that whatever lay ahead wasn't going to be easy, that their greatest fears had likely yet to pass. But even at the bottom of the barrel they stood together, both proud and tall. United by a bond stronger than most could even dream.

* * *

 _"I'll follow you until the ends of our days, Boss. I am your weakness but I will also be your strength. I am your missing eye, here only to serve and never to question. Wherever you go, I want to go with you. And when you die, I want to die with you. To take your hand and accompany you into the maw of the beast."_


	21. Epilogue

Bootprints tracked in the fresh white snow as Fox trekked down the sidewalk. It had stopped snowing earlier in the day but it was still freezing cold out, everything on the ground now had a small layer of crunchy frost over it that made a satisfying sound when stepped into. Despite this, Fox wasn't in a particularly joyful mood. Bundled up layers topped off with a black winter coat kept him warm as he made his monthly visit to his father's grave, reflecting on his life and the more recent events he'd been wrapped up in as he walked. They never recovered James's body but an empty grave marker had been erected in his honor regardless. It was right in the middle of a graveyard close to Fox's childhood home, just the journey there alone brought back memories.

The streets and sidewalks were devoid of life, even in a big city like Corneria most people were smart enough to stay home when it was this cold outside. To Fox however, it just meant a bit more privacy, some nice time he could enjoy to himself. Taking a gloved hand out of his pocket he worked the latch on the cemetery gate and helped himself inside. The rusty old hinge disrupting the winter silence with a sharp creek.

James's gravestone was impressive but not overburdening, just like the man himself. It was a tall polished marble slab with text engraved on the front. Stone replicas of his scarf and pilot's helmet were affixed to the top made to look like they had been hung there unceremoniously. "In memory of the great Captain James McCloud" it read, "Lest we forget the hero that fought valiantly for Corneria until the bitter end."

Fox let out a visible exhale; he was always at a conflict with the words that the General picked. They felt too formal, lacking the emotional drive to portray the magnitude of James's achievements or even the legacy he left behind. It was the definition of a military grave which didn't reflect on the kind of man that he was. Nonetheless, the grave was for more than just Fox. James was a hero of the people and while it wasn't meant to be any kind of public monument Fox was well aware that he wasn't the only one who visits. Sometimes he would find little gifts left there by others, mostly just flowers or framed pictures of his father in his heyday.

"...Dad?" Fox said as he stood in front of the stone, hanging his head with his hands buried in his pockets. "I miss you… Corneria misses you, hell the whole solar system misses you. We need your guidance now more than ever… I'd do anything to speak with you again." It never took Fox long to start tearing up during his visits, he blinked a few times to try and stifle it. "Everything's changed and... I don't know what to do. The Lylat War is over. Andross is gone and his army's crumbling apart bit by bit. Technically we won, but… It doesn't feel that way." Fox's nose started to quiver. "Things are different. Pepper has changed and… and I don't think I agree with his methods anymore. I know you followed him loyally, but… I'm struggling. Something about that war did something to us all, it changed him. I want to do what's right, just like you I want to help make the galaxy a better place. But I guess… I just can't say that I know what's right anymore."

"Nothing is." A gruff voice spoke from behind. Fox jumped in surprise and made a short yelp, he thought he was all alone in the graveyard and certainly hadn't heard anyone come in.

"Goodness you scared-..." Fox stammered out as he turned around. His words were quickly silenced as he saw somebody familiar standing next to him, a certain one-eyed wolf had somehow crept up on him here of all places. The canine was dressed in a black suit and red tie with a long peacoat protecting him from the cold. For somebody with such infamy he cleaned himself up well. Fox, being caught off-guard, felt the pangs of panic crawl through him. His paw slowly gravitated towards his hip where he normally holstered his gun but instead of landing on the pistol's grip it simply brushed up against his slacks. He normally came out here unarmed out of respect for the dead and this time was no different.

"Wolf please I-I don't have a weapon just-"

"Calm down. You think I would fight you here? I came to pay my respects, just like you."

"...You pay respects to my Dad? But, how did you get here?" Fox asked, paws shaking nervously- he was unconvinced that a simple visit was the man's only motive. Wolf ignored his question however, instead choosing to continue calmly staring at the prestigious gravestone.

"James was a good man, Fox. He fought for what he believed in; putting the good of the galaxy, the good of his people, before anything else. Do you see what happens to good men in this world?" Fox took a moment to process the question. He breathed deeply and relaxed his posture, looking up at Wolf and then back towards the monument. His adversary had his guard completely down, even going so far as to be standing with Fox in his blind spot. He was clearly here for something other than violence, perhaps he was telling the truth.

"...You killed him, Wolf." Fox answered; the greymuzzle next to him shook his head disappointingly.

"Did I kill him, Fox? Or was he dead long before Star Wolf even got there?" Wolf pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket and placed one in his mouth, casually lighting the end and taking in a pull before continuing. "That hit was being passed all over Venom, I'm just the one who took it. James was a marked man and if my team hadn't killed him, somebody else would have done it anyways. The end result is still the same. His bounty killed him, not us. I was just doing my job." Fox was silent, Wolf had something resembling a point but that didn't excuse his actions.

"Is that what you tell yourself to help you sleep at night?" He retorted, Wolf cocked his head at the response, empty socket glaring at the boy through his eyepatch. He wasn't in the mood for games.

"I'm not here to argue with you, McCloud. I'm here to warn you. You and I have a lot more in common than you think; enough that I felt compelled to seek you out and talk to you like this."

"Oh? What's there to warn me about?" Fox asked, there was something amiss about this whole conversation and he felt it may be in his best interest to play along.

"Men like us, we're too stubborn to admit when we're in way over our heads. You and I didn't get the opportunity to learn from our fathers and eventually that catches up to you." Wolf took another long drag off of his cigarette, "For me that came in the form of this." He said, pointing a claw to his missing eye. "I was lucky. For you, however… You'll be paying with your life, just like James did. You may not see it coming, but it'll happen. It happens to everybody like you."

"Like me? What do you mean?"

"Sometimes I wish I were ignorant like you again. You experienced the death of your father and still can't see that you're following directly in his footsteps, can't see further than your own whiskers. You're too good to be just another military puppet." Wolf sighed up into the cold air, a billowing cloud of smoke contrasting against all of the white. "No cause, no nation, none of that is worth your life or the lives of your teammates, McCloud. You're only here for so long, make the best of it. Carve your own destiny away from where the Cornerians want you. Unlike James here, your future is yet to be set in stone but wait too long and it might be."

"Andross is dead and Oikonny's Army is falling to pieces. We _finished_ the fight, there's nobody left in the Lylat System who wants me dead except for you." Fox stated with confidence, Wolf chuckled at the idea.

"I'll bet you wish that were the case."

"Did you just come here to scare me? Because it's not going to work. I'll fight alongside General Pepper and the Cornerian army until the day comes where we find peace in the galaxy. I can't just stand by on the side lines and let everything play out like you do. You need to BE the change you want to see."

"I figured." Wolf huffed. His cigarette was only halfway burned but it was already clear to him that this was a lost cause, he was wasting his time here. "Sometimes I pity you but then I remember that pity has no place on the battlefield. Humor me. What do you think waits for you at the end of all of this conflict? What do you think you'll find there?" Fox took a moment to consider, that wasn't something he'd seriously thought about in a while. Being so wrapped up in the conflict made it tough to remember sometimes what this was all for. Regardless, he decided to answer the question as honestly as he could.

"Peace." He replied. Wolf dropped his cigarette into the snow and stomped it out under the sole of his black dress shoe.

"No, it'll be me. I'll be waiting for you, there at the end. Just like I was there for your father and just like I'll be there for your son. I am the only thing you're guaranteed in this galaxy." A cold, uncomfortable tingle traveled down through Fox's spine as the words seeped into his ears. He didn't like what he had heard.

"Wolf stop-" He replied, turning to look towards the man standing next to him.

But he was all alone. Wolf had already begun to walk away, leaving behind only his smoldering cigarette butt and the dark ominous cloud over Fox's head.


	22. Post-Epilogue

Titania; a hell of a planet to get used to when you've lived on spaceships your entire adult life. Dry, dusty, windy, hot... Not many adjectives could be used to describe it that your normal person would enjoy. It wouldn't be so bad for the right kind of mammal but a canine? Big pointed ears, long scruffy fur, bushy tail; all don't lend themselves well to being assaulted by grains of sand all day, every day. Hell, sand gets into places you couldn't even imagine. That said, it feels disingenuous to complain too much since after all dealing with this is leagues better than dealing with the karmic retribution that we probably deserve. You have to make sacrifices in some way.

Unfortunately some of us weren't adjusting as well as the others. You'd think that a cold-blooded chameleon would like the heat but it had been nothing but a source of whining for the whole three weeks we've been here. Personally, I think it's less about the heat and more about the light; it can't be easy to slink around like he's used to when the sun is turned up to max for sixteen-hour long days. The cat on the other hand, he was taking the new locale like a champion. Panther's been staying objective-focused the entire time we've been here, I haven't heard a single peep in opposition. For such a big guy with a thick coat of pitch black fur he seemed to be okay with the change- or perhaps he's just better at hiding his discontentment.

The town where we find ourselves in is a podunk little garbage hole called Oasis, not sure if that name's a joke or not but we didn't really ask. It was small and rural, pretty far away from anywhere else that could be considered civilization and during the Lylat Wars only existed to be exploited by Andross for Uranium mining, useless enough that no Cornerian would go out of the way to visit it. The perfect place to keep our heads down. The town had been struggling financially ever since the end of the war but pump a little bit of our wealth into their local economy and suddenly nobody minds that we do live weapons training just out at the dunes. They'd probably mind if they knew who we were but we made sure to hide the ships out in the desert and change into more _locationally appropriate_ clothing. God I miss the black leather and spikes but, again, sacrifices have to be made somewhere.

For now the plan has seemed pretty foolproof. We hide out until both Oikonny's Army and the Cornerians have forgotten all about us and go back to focusing on their little squabble. Nobody would waste time and money looking all the way out here in this insignificant hellhole. Hopefully if things keep going the way they've been going we can take as much time as we need to recover since… I think I'm going to need a lot more than what I've had. The spot where those filthy, backstabbing animals shot me has been taking longer to fully heal than I'd hoped; movement is still painful and overall my left arm can't bear the same kind of weight that it used to. Who could have guessed that a serious injury would have serious consequences? One way or another I don't consider it any different from the other hundreds of hurdles I've overcome to get where I'm at today; those are all behind me now and this will be too, given some time. At the very least I can be thankful that it happened to myself and not one of the others, a dog like me almost relishes in the punishment.

Beyond that everything else had been going smoothly; three weeks in and we've already developed a routine. Every day we wake up early to spar with each other, practice shooting, exercise- anything we can do to hone ourselves for when we'll need it. Grinding against the whetstone until we're the sharpest in the galaxy. Nobody seemed to have any problems with us and the money kept people from asking many questions, at least until…

"Boss… Check the door." Leon approached his captain from the left and casually leaned over the countertop next to him, keeping his voice below a whisper to not attract the attention of any wandering ears. Wolf took a swig from his glass of dark-colored beer and glanced his eye over towards the door… Sure enough four men had just walked in. They were standing shoulder to shoulder and laughing boisterously to somebody's loud tale. Under normal circumstances they would appear to just be a bunch of friends or coworkers looking to get drunk together after a long day, but this was different. They were all wearing Cornerian military uniforms complete with assault rifles slung around their backs and pistols holstered on their hips.

"…Shit." Wolf replied as he turned back towards the wall of liquor opposite from his barstool. He hunched over, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. "Where's Panther?"

"I'm here, captain." A baritone voice replied from Wolf's right. For such a big guy he certainly could sneak up on you.

"Finally done talking to that girl?" Leon teased.

"Not the time, Powalski."

"What's the plan, Wolf?" Panther asked, he huddled in as close as he could be without drawing any attention to them.

"Maybe they won't recognize us." Wolf replied, "We'll just get out of here. Keep your heads down and we'll see if we can slip out past them. They're probably just passing through." The canine reached into one of his brown duster's pockets and took out a roll of bills he had stashed away. He peeled the top one off of the rack and placed it down on the table under his now-empty beer glass. The value of the note was much higher than what they actually owed but that didn't bother Wolf at all, throwing money around was his main way of keeping the locals happy. After all, they weren't even close to running out of money at this rate, not with the warchest of cash he'd accumulated for the team during and after the Lylat Wars. He didn't like to get into details since he didn't consider money to be a big deal but their bank balance was easily in the seven digits.

Wolf stood up from his bar stool and flipped his hood up over his head, trying to obscure his face as much as possible and signaling for the others to do the same. Leon removed the red bandana that he kept around his neck and tied it over his mouth while Panther just turned to the side, trying to hide the prominent scar on his right cheek. Regardless of their efforts, however, the three barely made it a few steps towards the exit before they were stopped.

"HEY YOU!" One of the military men from the table shouted, his voice's inflection was wavering as if he had already shown up intoxicated. He was all perked up with a grin on his big dumb jowls, probably not what he'd look like if he felt that he had identified a group of well-known criminals. "Ya'll best not be leavin'! Come sit with us!"

"…We really should be going." Panther asserted. Wolf did his best to keep his head down, knowing that his eyepatch would be a dead ringer to anybody who knew better.

"Oh _nonsense_! This town's deader than my grandmum! C'mon we'll buy you two a drink, us foreigners gotta stick together- right?"

" _Two?_ " Wolf thought to himself. He half-turned his head back to look for Leon but the chameleon was nowhere to be found, he must have already snuck off. Devilish bastard. Wolf took a moment to consider his options but only one firmly stood out, perhaps if they accepted the invitation and remained cool they could fish for information. Maybe find out what the men were here for and how many others were in the area. " _Relax and follow my lead._ " He leaned in and whispered to Panther, the feline nodded in understanding.

"Sure my friends." Wolf spoke up, "It would be rude of us to reject such hospitality." He began to walk over to the Cornerian's table and his teammate followed suite, loudly dragging chairs from the next table over to make seats for themselves.

"That's more like it!" The boisterous dog rejoiced, one of the others raised his paw up in the air.

"Bartender! Get these boys another round of whatever they was drinkin'!"

"Oh no that's not necessary-" Panther interjected.

"Too late now!" The man replied, "We're just happy to see some other foreigners 'ere. We've been bored to tears combing over these hellish deserts the last few days an' quite frankly the locals don't seem to like us very much." He started laughing again, ribbing one of his buddies with his elbow. It was clear these men weren't on their first rounds by the time they'd come in.

"…Why do you think we're foreigners?" Wolf chimed in as he took his seat. At this proximity it would be impossible to obscure his face any longer so instead he just opted not to, gambling on the chance that they wouldn't notice. Looking up at the four men in front of him with his single blood-red eye fortunately nobody seemed to care too much. Maybe these men were out of the loop, either that or just stupid. Now that they were settled in Wolf could tell that the soldiers were all canines of varying species, some were a bit larger and some a bit smaller but all carried the same equipment regardless, their rifles strapped across their backs and their equipment webbing unbuckled in the front. They had friendly expressions on their faces but it was obvious that they were the military rejects, the heels assigned to the shitty job nobody else wanted to do. The one who was speaking appeared to be some kind of Schnauzer, curly fur all mangled and clumped up due to the weather.

"What, you gunna tell me that a dog like you and a cat like him would live someplace like this?" He made a throaty laugh at the idea. "I mean, look't yer fur! It's all black, isn't it? That must get hot. So what're ya'll here for anyways? Don't tell me a 'vacation' either because you know as well as I do that this planet's the worst."

"We're here on… Business." Wolf replied. The bartender had come over with a tray stacked full of beers and was beginning to pass them all around.

"Business? What kinda business you got all the way out here?" One of the others spoke up, giving Wolf a curious look. He was the largest of the bunch, a Doberman with dark colored eyes and pointed facial features. His fatigues were adorned with more decorations than the others had which might indicate that he's the man in charge. But then again who knows with Cornerian ranking.

"…Miners been disappearing. We were sent from the city to find out why." The Star Wolf captain crafted a bold-faced lie off the top of his head. It seemed to go down well, the Doberman nodded.

"Ah, shame. Find anything out about that?" He said before taking a swig from his frosty beer glass. White foam residue left an outline on his lips.

"Can't talk about it I'm afraid, not until we have proof."

"Sure, sure. I was just thinkin' that maybe it's related to what we're here for though. Maybe you could help us out- we'd pay you."

"Yeah? What's that?" Wolf's ears perked up curiously from under his hood, taking a drink from his own glass. Anything they could pay would be pennies compared to what he already had but he had to find out what they were after that was so important.

"Well, these guys at the top of General Pepper's Most Wanted list- they think they might be out here, or at least somewhere nearby. See they disappeared off the grid and Pepper wants 'em real bad. It's the Star Wolf team, you've probably heard of 'em from the Lylat Wars. But… We've been out here for almost a week and no leads. Seems like a big fat waste of time."

Wolf froze up for a moment mid-drink and accidentally took in more than he intended, some of the extra running down from the sides of his muzzle and wetting his fur. He swallowed what he had then took a cursory glance over to Panther who was already looking at him for direction.

"Star Wolf, huh? I haven't heard anything about them around these parts."

"Really? Nothing? That's unfortunate." The Doberman replied. "I was hoping that-"

"Hey you know- come to think of it…" One of the other soldiers interrupted his captain with a squealy voice; he was the smallest one at the table and appeared to be some kind of Shibe. He looked both intoxicated and way out of his element, too much fur for this kind of planet. "You know you two kinda look familiar. You wanna take your hood off, big guy? Lemme get a good look at you."

"That's not happening." Wolf said firmly, his right paw slipped off the wooden tabletop and started to gravitate towards the holster hidden under his leather duster, making sure to be prepared in case this escalated any further.

"Yeah… Hey boss he's got an eyepatch, you see that? Just like that guy in the pictures. Look, his buddy there's got a scar on his cheek too!"

"Don't be rude to our new friends, Rey. We just met them."

"No- no look. Look at this." The small dog fished around in his pocket for a moment and pulled out some crumpled up pieces of paper. He did his best to smooth them out, they appeared to be older pictures of Star Wolf members, probably the last ones that were well documented and usable as references. "Yeah- YEAH. Look boss the resemblance is uncanny." He said excitedly, turning the pictures towards the big dog sitting adjacent to him. The Doberman leaned over, his eyes darting between the mission papers they'd brought with them and the men he had invited to his table. One could almost see the gears in his head starting to slowly wind up, a fire of conviction in his eyes growing increasingly more accusatory as he realized what he'd done. Without warning he jolted up out of his chair with his arms reaching around his back to unsling his rifle. Unfortunately for him in his inebriated state he was nowhere near as fast as he needed to be.

"Not. Another. Move." Before the leader had his paws on his weapon Wolf had already drawn his revolver and was pointing it across the table, barrel aimed straight into the man's crotch. Wolf wasn't normally prone to using powder-based firearms but this one was too pretty to pass up. It was a very large and decorated .44 caliber Magnum, formerly belonging to the Venomian captain whose face he had to claw open aboard his own ship. Now it was more of a trophy than anything else. A big, shiny, intimidating trophy.

While the target in front of him did what he was told Wolf couldn't do much to prevent the rest of the men from jumping out of their chairs and arming themselves. Panther stood up and unholstered the pistol he was prone to carrying but two against four weren't odds that looked favorable. Leon better be planning something good…

"Tell your men to drop their guns." Wolf growled through his teeth, he used his free hand to pull the hood down from over his head. There was clearly no use in hiding anymore.

"Hah, you think that's gunna work?" The leader chuckled but his nervousness was obvious, having a gun pointed into your groin will do that to a man. "You're lookin' a bit outmanned to me, O'Donnell. Why don't you lower that gun so that this doesn't get any worse for you? We're suppos'ta bring you in dead or alive and I think we'd both prefer if you were alive."

By this point the other patrons of the bar were acutely aware of what was going on and all conversation had ceased, the room fell deafeningly quiet with all attention focused on the six of them in the middle. Wolf bared his sharp fangs and was exhaling a low growl with each breath, chest heaving as he mentally explored the tools he had available to get out of this one. This wasn't going to end here, not to a bunch of drunken idiots in a shitty dustbowl town. He glanced up to Panther who was standing at his right and discretely gestured his gun upwards. Subtle actions like that weren't lost on the teammate, Panther noticed and responded with a nod, iron sights trained on whichever of the Cornerian soldiers was the closest shot.

"'Outmanned' doesn't mean anything when I got more guts than all of you combined." Wolf said, tensing up his muscles. He wouldn't have time to wait for whatever the hell Leon had planned, this was going to have to be addressed now.

"Yeah? You talk big for a-" Before that thought could be finished Wolf placed both of his paws under his side of the table and exploded up out of his seat with a hefty roar; using all of his strength to send the heavy wooden surface careening into all four of the Cornerians and plunging them into a chaotic scramble. The table flipped over onto the Doberman and pinned his legs to the floor while the rest of the men were sent staggering. A few stray shots escaped from their guns in the confusion and haphazardly blew holes into the ceiling and walls.

Panther was quick to follow up on his leader's surprise, he started to step back away from their uncontrolled firearms and unloaded his own into the unfortunate soldier who was the easiest shot, pegging him with enough rounds to take down even the toughest of men. Wolf did the same, backing off with his revolver raised and putting one well-placed bullet center mass of the Schnauzer who'd invited them to the table. Kind of a shame since he seemed to be the kindest of the bunch but… Conflict was conflict. Bullets were much different than lasers and had a much more brutal impact. While a laser could do a substantial amount of damage it was rare for one of the shots to ever penetrate the surface, this meant that it could take more than one to put somebody on the ground. A bullet, however, was a different story. The large .44 round was more than enough to drop the mutt, piercing his ribcage and causing a shower of blood from the exit wound to speckle the area behind him.

Despite being stuck on the ground the Doberman had enough composure to draw his sidearm and used it to return fire as best he could. That didn't amount to much, however- the shots went wide and didn't connect with anything important. The Shibe, despite being the smallest and most skiddish of the group, was already the only one remaining standing and barely at that. He was clearly panicking, ion shots sprayed from the barrel of his rifle but they weren't going anywhere specific, just connecting all over the room and making wooden splinters out of the walls and furniture.

"PANTHER." Wolf shouted over the gunfire; he had to move behind a nearby support beam for cover, not wanting to catch a stray round so soon after his last injury. His large feline companion on the other hand found an alternate source of cover; leaping over the bar countertop, kicking over bottles and glasses in the process. While their adversaries didn't seem to be the most accurate it wasn't a good idea to be risky when it came to firearms discharging.

"CAPTAIN?" He hollered back, taking the moment to flush the cooling cycle on his pistol.

"LOOK AT ME." Wolf held up his paw and as soon as he had Panther's attention started to count down on his fingers, the teammate bobbing his head along with each digit. Five… Four… Three… Two… At the final count both of them popped out of their cover in synchronization and subjected the two remaining targets to crossfire. A heavy bullet pierced the military captain's shoulder first, causing him to drop his sidearm and yelp in pain before a second shot from Panther's handgun connected with his muzzle.

"NO!" The Shibe cried out, he'd been firing his rifle one-handed and was using the other hand to try and help his leader off the ground... With that however, he had to quickly reprioritize. Shots whizzed past him and singed his fluffy fur in a few places but he was too lithe and quick to be easily hit. Without a second thought the small dog charged towards the door, deciding that escaping with his life was more important than anything else at this point.

"STOP HIM!" Wolf shouted, but it was too late. The last .44 Magnum round in his revolver's cylinder sent fragments of wood showering over the pup as he shoved his way out the door in a panicked scramble. "FUCK." The grey canine punched the support beam in frustration before hurrying across the room, he had no intention of letting any of them get away lest they radio any information back to whoever else was in the search party. Wolf slammed his shoulder into the door and it swung wide open, he was almost immediately stopped in his tracks, however. An unexpected sight awaiting him on the other side.

"You're a pretty one… Under other circumstances I bet I could make you like me. You look like the type."

The Shibe hadn't gotten much further than a few steps out the door before he ran into trouble, he was pinned up against the building exterior with a familiar green reptile forcing his way up against him. The soldier's face was full of terror, wide-eyed and shaking in the chameleon's grasp with his gun knocked helplessly out of reach. "It's a shame…" Leon whispered, his sharp little mouth pushed uncomfortably close into his victim's ear. "But you people bring this upon yourselves." As soon as he finished his sentence he twisted his right hand and the Shibe made a sharp reactionary yip. The noises of pain were quickly stifled as Leon clasped his fingers around his muzzle, aggressively squeezing it shut. "Shh…" He hissed, watching the boy's face contort as the blood ran down his uniform and collected into a pool at his boots. Wolf and Panther were comfortable just watching, it wasn't even close to the first time they'd seen Leon do something like this.

The chameleon squeezed the canine's stout muzzle in a vice-like grip between his fingers as he licked his long, sticky tongue over the fur on his neck. "Maybe you already like me?" He asked, but the boy could only respond with muffled little whimpers. Leon felt this was an adequate enough answer, pulling his hand back to withdraw his knife from the Cornerian's side before tossing him to the ground.

"W-what's wrong with you?" The smaller dog's voice stuttered as he tried to scoot himself away, looking up at Leon with fearful eyes as he helplessly clutched at his wound. The blood was smearing all over the porch now that nothing was stopping it up.

"What's wrong with me? You're the one leaving your blood all over the place." Leon teased, he was clearly getting something out of this. He pulled the knife up to his mouth, letting the metallic taste of the boy's vital fluid excite his taste buds before moving in to finish the kill. The chameleon collapsed down to his knees over the Shibe's chest, using one hand to better expose the boy's neck before plunging his little blade straight into the same patch of fur he'd been licking. Normally he could play with his food for a lot longer but… Unfortunately time was of the essence. This would have to do.

"There you are, Powlaski." Wolf spoke up as soon as he was certain his teammate was finished. Throughout the years the bloody messes that Leon left seemed to get bigger and messier each time. "I was wondering what you had planned."

"Just… Figured you'd need somebody on the outside." The chameleon pulled his knife out of the Shibe's neck and stood up, wiping it off carelessly on his own jacket. He had enough stains on him already from the fight, what was a little bit more? "The others?"

"Still inside," Panther spoke up, gesturing with his thumb. "Didn't stop to check their vitals but I don't think they're getting up anytime soon." Leon made a hum of affirmation as he walked over and picked the stray rifle up off of the ground, figuring it might be important to have later. As a team they walked back inside to face the aftermath, leaving the poor soon to be lifeless pup bleeding a red stain all over the building's wood-panel porch.

Wolf grimaced as he looked around at the damage inside the bar, though admittedly most of it didn't even come from their weapons. Holes and scorch marks left from the assault rifles dotted the walls and ceiling all over accompanied by fragments of glass and splinters decorating the floor. Wolf's first thought was disappointment that this had to happen here of all places; he and the team spent a lot of time and money at this bar and there was only one other in the entire town. Most of the patrons appeared to have escaped either before or during the fight, it was tough to keep track in the heat of the moment but not many civilians were there now. Any that were left were cowering behind overturned tables or in corners, it didn't look like there were any injuries to attend to.

"Hey, Nate." Wolf addressed the owner of the establishment by his first name, clapping his palm down on the countertop opposite from where he'd spotted the man hiding. The two were decently friendly so Wolf felt at least a little remorse over what'd happened. Fortunately he hadn't been hurt either, having been huddled down behind cover for the duration of the fight.

"W-w-what the FUCK, man?" Nate replied as he picked himself up cautiously, his head was darting back and forth wild-eyed and panicky. He was a mangy looking coyote with dry, disheveled brown fur and long matted ears; normally a decent person who appreciated Star Wolf's patronage but like everybody else in the town didn't really know who they were. "What the FUCK happened to my bar?" He shouted; by this point Wolf was already reaching into his duster's pocket, pulling out the same roll of bills that he'd been manipulating earlier. He used his claw to thumb through it for a moment before deciding that it'd be a better idea to just give him the whole thing.

"Here." Wolf spoke, slamming the roll down with a solid thump against the lacquered wood. Eyeballing the full rack one could estimate that it amounted to somewhere around sp$10,000, way more than what was necessary to cover any damages. "What did you see here tonight?"

"W-what do you mean?"

"I asked what you saw here, what happened?"

"I-I…" Nate looked up at the grim expression on Wolf's face then down to the money that was on the counter, quickly making the connection. As shaken as he was he knew that it'd be best to just accept what he was given and avoid provoking the beast. "I-I I guess I dunno, I just… Somebody from out of town picking a fight or something. Didn't get a good look at their faces." Wolf stared at him for another moment, drilling his intensity home before taking his hand off the bills and sliding them over.

"What did _any_ of you see?" He shouted out, addressing the rest of the patrons. "Did _any_ of you people see what happened here?" His words were met with nothing but silence, nobody had anything to say in opposition, probably the smart decision for them to make. This was satisfactory enough, it's not like he could seriously intimidate the poor folks if he wanted to stay in town. "Good. Panther, Leon. Let's go."

The leader made a circular 'regroup' gesture with his hand, carefully stepping around the collapsed tables and corpses that were left behind as he made his way over to the front door. He and Panther were the first to leave and Leon was quick to follow; the chameleon first finishing his task of cutting the dogtags off of the soldier's necks, wrapping them around a three-fingered hand for later documentation. Before departing he took one last suspicious look around, making sure to catch eye contact with as many people as he could. His large blue eyes spoke for themselves, laying down the law of the land without having to speak a single word. And just like that his curled tail disappeared out the door, diligently following his teammates.


End file.
